Pokémon: The Mysterious Region (book 1)
by TheRisingFlame
Summary: Liam Walsh never forgot the stories his late father told him when bedtime had come. He grew up into his teenage years, holding the stories of the Mysterious Region close to his heart, exploring the idea of its possible existence. He and his brother set off from Galar in search of this place, but things take a turn for the worse as a storm breaks out and Liam finds himself stranded.
1. Prologue: The Storm

**#I don't own anything of Pokemon. This is pure fanfiction within the Pokemon universe. The only thing I do own is my OCs and the book's story.**

The ocean writhed and wrothed as the large ship crashed through massive waves. The crew of thirty humans and thirteen Pokémon were tossed fro to fro as the weather hammered the vessel. One man clung to the wheel, trying desperately to keep the ship from capsizing.

The yell of a man overboard could barely be heard over the roar of the wind and waves and the outline of two figures could be seen in the raging ocean as lightning flashed overhead.

The youngest member of the crew barely managed to make it to the deck before a man with a Wooper atop his shoulder yelled, "Get back down there boy! You-!"

Whatever he was saying was lost in the wind as well as his Wooper, who was carried off into the ocean. The man cried out, but the Pokemon was already gone.

The captain of the ship, the one piloting the vessel, shouted, "SWAMPERT!"

He took one hand off the wheel and pressed a glowing ring to his mouth. "SAVE THEM!"

A glow surrounded the Mud Fish Pokemon before he transformed into a bulkier version of himself. He dove into the sea and a wave of water carried the two men and the Wooper back on the ship. Just as Swampert was about to climb back aboard, a wave crashed into him and he was carried away, taking the piece of the ship he was holding onto.

The boat creaked violently and the ropes went full taught. Then two of them snapped as thunder boomed overhead.

One man holding onto the starboard side pointed towards the bow. "ROCKS DEAD AHEAD!"

A huge scraping noise filled the air as water poured in below decks. The boy came scrambling onto the deck, his blonde hair now plastered to his face. He cradled a small, faded emerald chest in his hands.

Several men screamed as a huge tidal wave rose from the port side before descending onto the boat and its crew. Their screams drowned away as the water slammed into them, carrying half of them overboard. The captain was thrown backwards by the force of the wave, slamming into the wooden railing behind him. It cracked and broke away, sending him down into the sea.

The main mast cracked and the boy and his chest were tossed against the captain's quarter's door. Another large wave rose into the air and crashed down upon the ship. A huge unearthly roar filled the air before all went dark.

...

The oldest of the Elders of the Moonlit Tribe gazed at the storm raging on in the distance. The daughter of the Tribe Leader stood next to him, staring intently at the storm.

"It's starting," she said as lightning flashed. "Just as the ancient texts said it would."

The Elder nodded. "Indeed, though the rest of the tribe will not welcome this change."

She nodded. "Nevertheless, everything is changing. No one can stop it. Not even my father."

The Elder rose from the rock where he sat and put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Go. Whatever the storm brings you must witness it."

She nodded before running down the rocky slope towards the tribe's village.

The Elder looked once more at the storm. "May the gods have mercy on us all."

**I've been working on this story on Wattpad, but now I've decided to also publish it here. I hope you all enjoy. Remember, all reviews are welcomed, but if I find that any review seems to be offensive in any way, I will block you. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but anything beyond that is just highly unnecessary. If you want to know why I have to say this, look in my other book, Life, Death, Order, and Chaos at the very first review posted there. Anyway, that's it for now. Toodles **


	2. Chapter 1: Shipwrecked

The first thing I could hear was ocean lapping at the shore. My clothes clung to my skin, warmth from the sun providing heat. I tried opening my eyes, but found that I couldn't handle the intense light.

I rolled over on my side, groaning as I could feel my body aching. I pressed my hands down on the sand to hold myself up as I slowly opened my eyes. As my eyes adjusted, I studied my hands. They were covered in dried sand, but besides that they were fine. I looked up to look at the ocean, spreading far out beyond the horizon.

I turned around, wincing at the bright sunlight and sat, looking at the scenery in front of me. The beach I was on wasn't that big as it ended several hundred meters in a huge rock cliff. I followed its path and noticed it encircled the beach in a half circle, closing it off. A tiny cove.

That's when I saw it. I stumbled to my feet, but fell to my knees. I grimaced and hauled myself up. I hobbled forwards, feeling a pain in my left leg, but I ignored it. I ran past a couple of Krabbys and past a Kingler who eyed me before moving on.

I was now closer to the far right rock wall, but that's not what I was running to. I came to a slow stop as I stared at the front half of the _Seeker, _the ship I had been sailing on. It looked badly damaged, not to mention the back end of it wasn't anywhere in sight.

I heard a moan of pain and I stumbled around the shipwreck to find Swampert curled in the fetal position. He was no longer in his mega form and dried blood caked his usual smooth blue skin. fell to my knees, putting a hand on the injured Pokemon.

He looked up at me and uncurled his body and I gasped. Laying where Swampert had been was my brother, Ryan. He was unconscious and I could see a huge gash in his right leg. I nearly threw up, but at least he was breathing.

Swampert stood and hobbled down to the ocean and dove in. I just stared in astonishment. He was abandoning us!

I looked back at my brother. "What am I supposed to do!?"

My voice was hoarse and it hurt to speak, but I didn't care. "What can I do!?"

I heard my brother's voice in my head, a story he once told me. _"Gunfire everywhere. Soldiers all around me were either wounded or dead. I had just managed to haul my buddy down into a nearby house before a mortar hit outside. You see, Bobby wasn't going to go anywhere anytime soon. His leg was badly messed up, so I found a bed sheet laying on the floor and ripped it up. I tied it tightly around his leg and stood my ground..."_

I looked back at the ship, an idea slowly forming in my head. I stumbled upwards and circled the ship. I got lucky and spotted my prize. I grabbed the sail hanging over the side and tugged. No good. I went back to my brother and searched the leather jacket he was wearing. I found what I was looking for on his belt.

I unhooked his knife and went back over to the sail. I tugged as hard as I could on it with one hand and sliced through the top. I fell backwards onto my back, groaning from the impact.

Stumbling back towards Ryan, I sat on my knees and began tying the cloth around his injured leg. I did it as tightly as I could several times before tying a knot.

I heard a moan from my brother as he shifted his body, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at me. "Liam?"

I nodded furiously. "Yes, it's me. I'm here."

He groaned. "Where's Wooper?"

I swallowed and looked around, but my brother's Pokemon was nowhere to be seen. "I-"

He put his hand on mine. "It's alright. At least you're here."

He tried to sit up, but immediately fell back down.

He looked at me. "Where's the chest?"

The question hit me hard in the chest. "I... I don't know."

Ryan was about to say something, but was interrupted by the arrival of Swampert. He held several Magikarps in his maw as he spat them on the sand next to us. Then the Mud Fish Pokemon collapsed next to us. He didn't get up.

I was about to touch him, but Ryan grabbed my wrist and shook his head. "Don't. He's already gone."

I tried to not let tears escape, but despite my efforts, several ran down my cheek.

Ryan gripped my wrist tightly. "Now is not the time for crying. We need to use Swampert's gift less he died for nothing."

He pointed towards the rock cliff up the beach. "Help me over there will you? We don't want high tides carrying us back to sea."

I wiped my tears away and nodded. I helped my brother stand and he leaned against me as we walked. After two hundred meters, we were in the shadow of the cliff.

He groaned as I lowered him onto his back, his head resting on a rock. "Now go gather some of the wood. We need to start a fire."

I nodded and hurried back down the beach. Pieces of driftwood lined the sand, especially near the wrecked ship. I gathered a pile of them and hefted them back to where my brother was. He was rummaging through his coat and pulled out small pieces of flint and steel. I dumped the wood next to him and headed back down the beach. Along the way, I noticed one of the small life boats from the_ Seeker_ still intact.

Noting that down for later use, I gathered the three Magikarps Swampert had caught us and carried them back to Ryan. He had already got a small fire going and was basking in its warmth. The sky was slowly darkening, yet I couldn't see the sun.

I looked at my brother. "What do we do now?"

He closed his eyes. "Survive."

**And the first chapter is here. Well, I guess the Prologue was the first, but we don't count those now do we. Anyway, the chapters might be shorter than usual for the time being, but I'll try and make them longer. See you all next time. Toodles**


	3. Chapter 2: The First Night

I leaned against a rock, staring blankly at the fire. Night had fallen and the Magikarps were all eaten. We were going to have trouble if we stayed here too long. I don't think we could capture and kill those Krabbys even if we tried. Not to mention the Kinglers roaming the beach, keeping watch on all their pre-evolutions.

Beyond our fire, a lone palm tree swayed lightly to the soft breeze. Several Crabrawlers were making their way up it to reach the coconut, yet they kept knocking each other off in such a repetitive loop that the three coconuts have been untouched for hours.

I leaned my head a little further back and stared at the magnificent starry night sky. Clusters of stars shone brightly above as well as galaxies. You couldn't get a view like this anywhere in Galar, especially not in the industrializing zones.

Ryan grunted in his sleep across from me and rolled onto his side, his right leg placed carefully on a rock. I looked at my left leg and checked the bruise there. It wasn't bad, just painful.

I held out my hands over the dwindling fire, trying to gather the last of its warmth before I had to gather more wood while evading the crabby Pokemon.

I tried to think back to just over a month ago, before Ryan and I had set sail. He had gotten back from his year of being deployed nine months prior and was restless. I on the other hand was extremely busy. I was up to my neck in school work, but I always managed to find time to work on the side project I had started after my late father passed when I was seven.

I smiled. Fond memories of him tucking me into bed with the most fantastical bed time stories were the highlight of nights he was home. He told me the story of the Mysterious Region that had been passed down through our family line. Vague tales of the island that was once part of the world, a region dominated by the vast population of Pokemon. Few people actually lived there, but those who did lived in perfect harmony with the nature around them.

The most thrilling part of these stories were that many mysteries of the region had not been revealed. Like how did the region form? What were the strange drawings found? And how did the island disappear into only legends, its location lost to all? These questions and more fueled my desire to know more, the last thing I have of my father. So I studied as much as I could, but very little could be found.

Only when my brother returned did I finally uncover something. Ryan had visited one of our relatives on his trip back home and was given something to give to me once he heard about my "obsession".

A small, faded emerald chest with a complicated lock. Instead of breaking it like he would've normally done, Ryan had pick-locked it and revealed what was inside. A faded parchment, a map of the Mysterious Region, along with sketches of ruins and cave drawings. We had debated going to scientists to see if it the map was genuine, but we had decided to keep it a secret, at least from the general public. We went to see a specialist who confirmed when the map had been made. Approximately fifteen hundred years ago.

Ryan and I had began planning a voyage to the coordinates listed on the map two months ago. That whole month we spent time gathering the necessary funds for a captain daring enough to sail into uncharted waters and a crew as daring as their captain. We had set sail, our hopes high, due Southwest from Galar.

For a month we sailed before reaching the coordinates, but with no sign of land. Our hopes plummeting, we sailed for several days in the surrounding area, unable to locate the island. The night the captain had decided to give up a storm broke loose and here we were. Sadly I had lost the chest in the storm, but that hardly mattered at this point.

I looked at the towering cliff behind me. The idea that Ryan and I had washed up on the beach of the Mysterious Region had not left my mind since I was able to relax. But until I was able to get a look over the cliff, I had no idea if this cove was the only thing here and that nothing lay beyond it.

Ryan moaned as he shifted again in his sleep, his face clenched. Worried, I stood and knelt next to him. I felt his forehead and immediately retracted my hand. It was burning hot.

"This is not good," I whispered as panic swelled up inside me.

I didn't know how to tend for the sick and the only one who did was the one sick.

Ryan opened his eyes and he must've saw the panic in mine because he gripped my hand, though it wasn't as tight as it used to be. As it should be.

"Hey," he croaked. "Don't worry. I've been in worst situations."

I tried to calm down, but fear still resided in my stomach, making me queasy. I looked at his tightly bound leg and knew it was probably time to get new bindings for it. I pulled over a long strip of sail that I had gathered earlier and carefully unwrapped Ryan's bandage.

I became even more nauseated at the sight of blood and pulp that even I could tell that the wound was infected.

"Damn," Ryan muttered as he lifted his head to look. "That looks bad alright."

I turned to him, fearful. "How are we supposed to treat you!?"

He smiled slightly before groaning and laying his head back down.

"Hey," I said, scooting closer to him. "What's wrong!?"

His face scrunched up in pain and I could hear his irregular breathing. "Listen Liam, I... I may not make it."

"Don't say that," I said. "Please don't say that."

He fumbled at his side before unhooking his sheath and sliding his knife into it. "Here, take it."

He thrust it into my hands, but I didn't want it. "I... I can't."

"Yes you can," he said firmly. "Now Liam, I wan't you to promise me something."

"Anything," I said, clinging onto his hands.

He grimaced in pain. "Survive, no matter what. You have to survive. For me."

Tears had gathered in my eyes, blurring my vision. "I will! I promise!"

His hands seemed to relax. "Good... good..."

He reached into his waistband and pulled out his gun. I couldn't move. I had to stop him.

He smiled sadly at me. "You can do this. I know you can."

He pressed the muzzle to his head. "Remember, survival is key."

BANG!

His hand dropped and the last embers in the fire died away and I was left alone in the dark. All alone.

**Now he's alone. This journey seems to be going well so far for Liam. Well, I have nothing else to say. Dang. Oh well. Toodles**


	4. Chapter 3: The Decision

I lay on my side, shivering despite the warm sun rising from the ocean.

"East," I spoke softly, thinking of the map. If I remembered correctly, there was a cove like this marked on it.

I pushed myself up. "I don't care. I don't care."

"I DON'T CARE!" I screamed.

Several Krabbys scuttled away from their positions around me and took protection behind a Kingler. The Pincer Pokemon glared at me before herding the Krabbys further down the beach. They passed the lifeboat and an idea came to me.

I stumbled forwards, trying hard not to glance at Ryan. I nearly tripped as I made my way to the boat and I collapsed to my knees next to it. I felt my hands along it. There were several holes that needed to be patched up including a jagged piece missing from its side.

I dragged the boat farther away from the shipwreck because the area around there was beginning to smell. Once far enough away, I sat, trying to think about how to go about this. After a while of contemplation, it struck me. Quite literally.

I rubbed my head, feeling the spot where the Krabby had flung the piece of wood. I turned and yelled at the Krabby, sending it scurrying. I gritted my teeth and looked down at the wood. I picked it up and was about to throw it before I noticed a nail sticking out of it, bent at an acute angle.

I tossed it next to the boat and spent the next hour running around the beach looking for wood with nails in them. I found most of them at the shipwreck, but I couldn't break apart the vast majority of them. Then I gathered broken wooden planks from the location and carried them over to the boat.

Another two hours were spent trying to dig out the slightly rusted nails which I carefully handled. Once done, I was beginning to grow weary from all the manual labor. I made my way back to the cliff and located the trickle of water running down its side. I had discovered this yesterday while Ryan was setting up the fire.

I closed my eyes and tried to block him out. I cupped my hands in the water and drank. While it wasn't seawater, this certainly wasn't the safest to drink considering it wasn't clean water, but what could I do about that?

I splashed some of the water on my head and sighed as its coolness dripped down my tattered white shirt. My beige pants were fading, but clothes weren't really the main issue at the moment.

I returned to the boat and turned it upside down. I took a rather thick piece of wood and began hammering wooden planks into the places where it had holes. The process was slow and tiring but the result was worth it as the sky began bleaching the sky red and orange. I took the last wooden plank and measured it. It was certainly long enough to be a walking stick, but I had another purpose in mind.

I got another fire going where Ryan had made the previous one and got to work. I unsheathed the knife he'd given me and began whittling it into a spear, just how my brother taught me when I was younger. It took well into the night, but once I was done, I was satisfied.

I lay down on the sand, closing my eyes, trying not to think about Ryan.

...

When morning came, I rose from my curled position and headed to the ocean's edge. I took off my ripped shoes and stepped into the cool water. The waves were calm and I waded out into the tropical blue waters up to my waist. There I stood, waiting. At some point I closed my eyes, listening to the soft drumming of the waves and felt something move past my leg.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked down to see a Magikarp swimming past. Raising my plank wood spear, I jabbed downwards, piercing the Pokemon in the side. It struggled for a minute before it finally died.

Satisfied, I made my way back to my campfire and started it back up again with Ryan's flint and steel. I cooked the Pokemon and ate it with gusto. I buried the remains further down the beach, then made my way back to Ryan's body. I hesitated, before rifling through his leather jacket.

I found a lighter with the symbol of a sword and shield etched into the metal, but it was likely useless now, but I tucked it in my pocket anyway. I discovered a soggy clump of playing cards, so I tucked them back in the pocket.

Another minutes search resulted in pocket lint, sand, and two flasks with liquids that smelled like alcohol. I noticed a slight lump beneath his shirt and looked to his neck. I could see a chain necklace going down his shirt, so I tucked my index finger beneath it and pulled it up. What I revealed made tears come to my eyes. It was his military dog tags.

I shut my eyes tightly and clenched my fists, the dog tags falling back on his chest.

"Survive," I repeated. "Survive survive survive!"

I punched the sand with each word before uncurling my fist. There was no way I could get off this island and survive out there in the ocean before finding land again. Even if I did, what chance was there that it wouldn't be another island. It was better to take my chances with where I was at now and try to get over that cliff. This had to be the Mysterious Region. It had to be. Or Ryan would have died for nothing.

I rose to my feet and wandered back to the fixed lifeboat in a daze. I looked at it and resisted the urge to start wailing on it. Instead, I dragged it back up the beach and towards the shipwreck. I tucked it away into the ruined ship and broke a wooden plank off of the side. I walked further up the beach, close to the cliff. I looked for a good spot before resting my gaze on the lone palm tree.

I walked up to it and threw a rock at the coconut the three Crabrawlers were still trying to get. The coconut jiggled from the impact and fell, knocking the three Pokemon down with it. Two of them glared at me before realizing the third was already dragging its prize away. As they scuttled off to do battle for the coconut, I began digging beneath the sand at the base of the palm tree.

After several hours, I fell onto my back in exhaustion. I wiped the sweat from my face and stared up at the palm leaves as they moved in the slight breeze.

I got back up and walked back to Ryan's body. I tucked my arms beneath his and dragged him across the sand to the hole. I laid him next to it and let the tears fall. I fell to my knees and grasped his dog tags. I pulled them over his head and clutched them in my fist before sliding them over my head. They fell onto my shirt, clinking slightly.

I rolled my brother into the hole and kneeled, staring down at his peaceful expression. "Thank you brother, for everything. I will survive, for your sake as well as my own."

I began shoving the piles of shoveled sand back into the hole and when it was filled, I smoothed the surface out into a slight mound. I took my knife and began carving in words into the wooden plank. When I was done, I stuck it firmly into the sand at the head of the grave, leaning it against the palm tree.

I gave myself an hour of just sitting there in the shadow of the palm tree, Krabbys and a Kingler watching me from my right side. I stood and they scuttled away. I walked back to the campfire and jerked my spear from out of the sand. I stalked up to the cliff and felt along its wall. I walked to the left for a hundred meters, looking for an easy spot to try climbing when my hands slipped between the rocks. A gap in the rock face. I peered inside and could only see darkness, but I could easily slip through.

I jabbed my spear into the ground next to the entrance and made my way back to the shipwreck. I grabbed a long piece of wood and wrapped a torn piece of sail onto the top of it. I tied another part of the sail around my waist as a belt and fit the piece of wood in it. I looked over near the campfire and made a decision. I went and picked up the gun lying on the sand.

I only ever had a couple shooting practices, but I knew the basics. I emptied the chamber and counted the bullets in the mag. Five in total. I slotted it back in the gun and put it in the back of my belt.

I walked back to the gap in the cliff. I took a flask I took from my brother earlier and poured the alcohol over the cloth. I emptied it and took it over to the trickle of water falling down the cliff. I cleaned it as best as I could and filled it with water. I clipped it to my belt next to the other flask which I could use as lighter fluid for later.

I went back to the gap and I struck the torch aflame. I put the flint and steel back into my pocket and picked up the torch in my left hand. Grabbing my spear in my right, I glanced back at the grave, before squeezing my way into the darkness.

**If you readers couldn't already tell, this story is going to have some heavy stuff. Best be prepared. Toodles**

**_Here lies Ryan Walsh, 27_**

**_A military veteran of Galar and a loving brother_**

**_The first to discover the Mysterious Region in modern day _**

**_And the one I will always remember in my heart as I continue to survive_**


	5. Chapter 4: Ancient Drawings

I crouched below the low ceiling of rock, holding the torch out in front of me. The way ahead of me was mostly dark, but I took comfort in the firelight. A scuttling noise almost made me jump out of my skin. I waved the torch around to see a Spinarak moving above me.

I tried to calm myself as I moved deeper into the tunnel, aware that I left the light of day far behind. I stepped on some loose gravel and nearly slipped , but I shot my arms out to grasp both walls.

Once I regained my footing, I swung my torch in front of me and I could feel my face go white. I was staring into a very deep and very dark chasm. Getting a hold of myself, I looked for any other possible routes than going straight down.

My luck seemed to be holding when I saw a narrow ledge leading down along the side of the chasm. About twenty feet along it was a door-like opening. I put one foot on the ledge and carefully added more weight to it. It held, so I stuck my spear in my belt and carefully put my back against the rock face and inched down the ledge.

As I moved, small rocks were dislodged and fell into the darkness below. I listened for the sound of them hitting the ground, but I heard nothing. That did not reassure me.

After a nearly five minute heart-pounding climb down, I reached the opening. I nearly flung myself in it, gasping for breath. I slid down the side of the wall and took a couple of minutes to recuperate. I pulled on the flask with the water and drank two second's worth before stopping myself. I had to be wise on how I drank. There was still a slight taste of alcohol to it, but I was hoping all the water would nullify it.

As I used the wall to lift myself up, I felt something smooth along it. I brought the torch to it and saw a drawing painted into the stone. I could feel the excitement starting to rush through me. This had to confirm it. I was on the Mysterious Region.

I examined the drawing carefully. I could see figures that I assumed were human and they appeared to be walking along a path further into the tunnel. I followed them, keeping an eye on the paintings to see if they stopped or changed.

After several minutes I reached a point where the tunnel split into two. The painted men went into the left tunnel which appeared to slope downwards while there was nothing on the right and sloped upwards.

I chewed my lip. The lure of discovery was too great in my head, so I headed into the left tunnel. The painted figures seemed to thin out, less and less being drawn. Eventually, they stopped. I examined the last couple figures. They were facing the way I was going, no. They were facing the way I had come. I looked at the other painted men and realized they too were facing the opposite direction I had thought they were. And they weren't walking. They were running.

A chill went down my spine. I looked down the tunnel, a sense of dread washing over me. What were they running from. I swallowed my fear and continued down the tunnel. With each step I took, the more I found that I wanted desperately to turn back. Then, the tunnel opened up into a small cavern.

I held up the torch, its flickering light illuminating the whole cavern. Paintings were spread along all four walls, depicting death and destruction. I looked around. On the far left wall, a swirling pattern was splashed with blue hues. I assumed it must be water. A giant misshaped beast was rising out of it, sending waves crashing down on cowering figures.

The central wall showed another misshaped monster, breathing vibrant red fire down on a village from its perch on a volcano. In this scene, dark clouds rose over the settlement, specks of black that I assumed was ash fell upon the village.

The right wall showed a lush green jungle, where a third giant beast rose from its depths, crushing all those in its path.

I took a step forwards to look at the central painting when my foot hit something and made it clatter along the floor. I lowered the torch and saw a bone. I scrambled backwards, dropping the torch in the process. The light grew smaller, but it now illuminated a painting on the floor.

A huge monstrous creature was etched into the stone floor, the details of its long tree-like body immaculate. A large tree trunk was situated on its back, drawn with purple liquid seeping out of it. Vines hung down its body that ended in points and its face split into four parts, each lined with teeth. Its long clawed arms appeared to be reaching for the ceiling, so I glanced up.

I fell on my butt, grabbed the torch, and held it over my head. A giant four winged creature was drawn up there, dark patches splotched around it. It had one horrific bug faced head, its mouth filled with razor sharp teeth and its eye looked to be split into four. Its six legs appeared to be drawn back, as if the creature was ready to strike below it.

"What is all this?" I whispered, then the torch began flickering.

I looked at the flame, which was dying out. I let go of my spear and fumbled for the flint and steel in my pocket. Then, the flames vanished, as if a breath of wind blew them out. I carefully placed it on the ground in front of me and dug out the flint and steel. I began sparking the two together, creating bits of light. I located the burnt cloth and tried to light it.

When nothing happened, I grabbed the flask with the alcohol and poured a little on it. Then I sparked the tools together and lit the torch. Smiling with relief, I tucked away the flint and steel and picked up the torch.

The flame illuminated something in front of me, walking towards me, my vision going hazy. Something was swinging in its hand. Something... The flame died and everything sank back into darkness.

**Spooky eh. Well, I'll leave you all on this cliffhanger. But first, tell me what you all think about this story so far. What you like, don't like, want to happen, don't want to happen, etc. Some feedback would be nicely appreciated. Well, now I'll leave you all on this cliffhanger. Toodles**


	6. Chapter 5: Grasp of the Hypno

_A knock on my door caused me to glance up from my notes. My brother, Ryan, held the door open and was looking in at me._

_"Hey," he said, stepping inside. "Still working on it?"_

_I nodded and turned back to the map I was working on. "We have the coordinates, but they're slightly unfinished. So far," I pointed to three points on the map with my pen. "These three places seem the more likely spots where we should search."_

_I ran my hand through my wild blonde hair. "But they're in uncharted waters. There hasn't been much exploration into the West."_

_Ryan nodded as he came to stand next to me, his long blonde hair in a ponytail. "What about those points?"_

_He pointed to two dots that were the outliers, much more of a distance away than the other three dots which were grouped together._

_I shook my head. "The one closest to __Galar__ is dead center in one of the new shipping lanes, so I doubt it's that one."_

_"Then what about this guy?" He asked, pressing his finger on the dot most Southwest from __Galar__._

_"Maybe," I said uncertainly. "It's just that that these three locations are closer together and are directly West from the __Unovan__ colony."_

_Ryan put a hand on my shoulder. "Remember, it isn't just about what's more convenient."_

_I sighed. "Yeah yeah. But if we shoot for this one, it's about 1100 miles Southeast from the __Unovan__ colony. Who in this region is idiotic enough to take us there?"_

_Ryan flashed a grin. "I know a guy."_

_I rolled my eyes and turned back to the map. "Of course you do."_

_I dipped my pen into the ink bottle. "Contact him then. I'll plot our route on here. And if that location doesn't work, we can always head West to check out the other locations."_

_"And," Ryan leaned over me. "We can go on the shipping route to the __Unovan__ colony and check that outlier, just in case."_

_I nodded. "Alright then. This might just work."_

_Ryan ruffled my hair. "Dad would be proud."_

_I gave a sad smile. "He would've wanted to come."_

_"He is," Ryan said firmly. "He'll be on your journey wherever you go."_

_I nodded as he left, not missing that fact that he said "your" not "our"._

...

I felt myself being dragged across the rough ground, my brain foggy. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt so heavy. I couldn't move at all.

As I tried to focus, I realized I was being dragged by an invisible force.

"Who?" I managed to rasp and I felt myself drop to the stone floor.

Soft padding sounded to my right and I could feel a presence next to my head.

_"Liam."_

That voice. Was it-

_"Liam. Open your eyes."_

I almost did. It was my brother's voice. He must be dragging me to safety. But from what. Then I remembered where Ryan was.

I firmly kept my eyes shut, as the voice seemed to echo around the tunnel, its voice inside my head.

_"Liam. Open your eyes. Now."_

I felt my eyes forced open by an invisible force. I was staring into the pink glowing eyes of a Hypno, its pendulum swinging in front of my gaze.

_"You are mine."_

I struggled to move, to look away, anything. But that voice, it was so, warm.

_"You are mine."_

My mind went blank and everything became background noise.

_"Stand."_

I picked myself of the ground and stood, listening to that fuzzy voice in my head.

_"Now walk."_

I began walking down the dark tunnel. What felt as an eternity I reached the edge of a cliff, leading down into the dark abyss.

_"Stop."_

Feet from the edge, I halted.

_"Die."_

I felt my foot moving. I knew something was wrong. I can't stop. I have to. I want to. I want to die.

_"Survive."_

A different voice. A familiar voice. My brother's. Ryan's.

_"Survive."_

I felt feeling return to my body and I slammed my right foot down and pushed myself backwards. I hit the Hypno and we went tumbling back down the tunnel.

I quickly got to my feet and ran. I reached the point where the path split ways and I took the right most path this time, the one leading up.

_"No one shall leave these caves! Ever!"_

I ignored it, chanting the word inside my head. Survive. Survive. Survive.

"No one must enter the island!"

Light. I could see light. I burst out of the ground and into a jungle, sunlight streaming through the trees.

I felt my knees buckle and I collapsed on the ground. I turned around and looked back at the cave entrance. The Hypno was standing there, half of it shrouded in darkness. Then it turned and walked back into the shadows.

I let my head fall on the mossy ground, breathing deeply. I stayed like this for a while.

Eventually, I rose to a sitting position. I checked as much as my person as I could. A few scrapes and bruises, nothing major as far as I could tell, but with a killer headache. My spear was still sticking out of belt, but the torch and flasks were gone. Everything else was still with me, including the gun.

I groaned, grabbing my head as I stood, and stumbled into a tree. I held on to it to support myself and straightened. Then my brain went fuzzy and I collapsed.

**Yeah, these chapters are short huh? Well, at the moment it's all just setting things up so to speak. We'll get to longer chapters soon, I think? Well, we'll all find out when I get there. Toodles**


	7. Chapter 6: Wild Pokemon Attack

I felt something wriggling across my face and I reached out my hand. I opened my eyes to see a Caterpie staring at me. I grabbed the bug and flung it away. I groaned as I sat up, rubbing my eyes. I looked around to see myself in a jungle.

Memories filled my head and I remembered the Hypno. I looked back where the cave was, but the entrance was gone. It was now just solid rock. I stood so quickly I had to steady myself as my vision went blurry.

Once my head cleared I went up to the large rock sticking out of the ground. I felt my way around it, realizing it wasn't that big. In just ten seconds I was back where I started, now realizing there couldn't have been an entrance here.

I stumbled back, grabbing my hair. "What's going on here!?"

A couple Butterfrees flew overhead, their shadows rippling across the sunlit forest floor. I walked past the rock in a daze, not knowing what to do except walk. After ten minutes I came to a cliff. It was pretty big and long. Down below I could see the beach where I had washed up as well as the shipwreck.

Wingulls squawked along the cliff edge and I grimly smiled. I was here, I was certain of it. I turned back around to face the jungle. This was the Mysterious Region all right. Now that I was elevated a little, I could see above the treetops and a huge mountain rose high into the sky in the far distance, too far to walk in my current condition.

I licked my lips. Dry. I needed to find a stream or the lack of water would kill me.

I walked back into the jungle, listening to the chirping noises of Bird Pokemon and the scuttles of Parasects. I wandered for a while, feeling my throat get drier and drier with each step. Finally, I heard a faint trickle of water. I veered left and half ran through the undergrowth.

I came to a sudden stop, holding onto the tree next to me with my hand. I was staring at a stream, water trickling past the small rocks jutting out of the ground. I collapsed to my knees, cupping water into my hands and drinking greedily.

_"Never drink a lot of water when you've been without it for a while."_

I stopped, despite my desires to continue drinking, but my brother's words of advice echoed throughout my head.

_"Drink slowly, it's better for your stomach that way."_

Slowly, I drank, making sure not to drink too much.

I heard a thumping noise, then a roar behind me. I felt the air behind me ripple and I instinctively lurched forwards. I fell on the rocks in the stream, pain spreading through my body. With great difficulty I turned myself around to see an Ursaring rearing up on its hind legs.

My eyes widened in fear as I scrambled backwards out of the stream. I fumbled for my spear and pulled it out of my belt. I got to my feet and held it out in front of me, my hands shaking. The Ursaring eyed the stick and roared before lumbering towards me.

I turned and ran. I crashed through the undergrowth and stumbled forwards, falling down a hill. I lost my grip on my spear and it went tumbling to the side. I lifted my hands to protect my head and I came to a stop five seconds later.

I was breathing heavily. I tried to move, but it hurt too much. I could feel pain all over my body, in my legs, my ribs, my head.

_"We were in that ditch together. Enemy fire was all around us and I knew the only chance we had was to run."_

I lifted my head.

_"So we clung to each other's shoulders and ran."_

I groaned, lifting myself off the ground.

_"Remember, survival is key."_

I grimaced and rose to my feet. I looked around as I could hear the Ursaring behind me on the hill. There, in the distance. A rock formation.

I ran full tilt and I could hear something heavy sliding down the hill. A roar and I ran faster, adrenaline pumping through me. I drew closer and I realized it wasn't a rock formation at all. It was ruins. Cement walls crumbling and iron bars sticking out of the broken bits.

I could hear the Ursaring crashing through the trees and I saw a cement structure that looked mostly intact. I dove inside the small opening and scrambled around in the darkness, trying to get as far away as I could from the small opening.

A heavy weight crashed into the structure and it shook. The Pokemon roared and I pressed myself further against the wall. A blow to the wall and the cement began to crack.

My hands shaking, I reached for the gun. I didn't want to do this, but...

The cracks spread and I pulled the gun out and flicked off the safety.

The wall turned to dust as the Ursaring crashed through. I yelled and fired two shots into its head. I dove out of the way as it collapsed where I had just been. It groaned in pain, its sides heaving. Then after a painful minute, it died.

I swallowed, breathing heavily. With a scream, I tossed the gun away, clutching my head in my arms.

"I can't do this," I breathed. "I can't!"

_"Survival is key."_

"I know," I whimpered, closing my eyes. "I know, brother."

I rose to my feet and walked out of the hole Ursaring made. The ruins were just a jumble of broken cement walls and collapsed buildings. My foot kicked something in the dirt and I looked down. Half-buried in the soil was a musket.

I picked it up and dusted it off. I looked around me once more. Was this place, a military camp? No, it wasn't big enough. Maybe just a small base of operations?

I placed the gun on the ground and stared up past the trees. The light of day was growing dimmer. I felt my side, the pain returning now that the adrenaline was wearing off.

For the next ten minutes, I gathered sticks and branches, placing them in the middle of the "camp". I lit it with the flint and steel and felt the warmth of the fire. My stomach growled and I looked back at the Ursaring.

In school, I learned that a lot of Pokemon were edible and Ursaring was one of them. Remembering my biology class, I knew exactly what parts were edible.

Grimacing, I reached for my knife.

...

Leaning back against a cement wall, I watched as the flames danced and sparked. Overhead, Zubats fluttered in the night sky as the moon shone down. I was in a jungle, on an island the rest of the world had no idea about.

I lifted my shirt and looked at my side. It was a dark color and hurt like hell. As far as I could tell, I had no internal bleeding, but even if I did, there was nothing I could do about it.

I leaned my head back and groaned in pain as I felt my side. "This island is going to kill me."

I looked at the gun I had tossed away, its shape barely noticeable in the darkness. I didn't want it, but I knew I needed it.

"I will survive," I whispered. "I promise."

**And another chapter done. I'm really enjoying writing this and I hope you readers are enjoying reading it. Well, till the next chapter. Toodles**


	8. Chapter 7: The Lost Bulbasaur

I awoke, my muscles sore. I opened my mouth and heat flooded in. I licked my chapped lips. I needed water.

I groaned as I got to my feet. Glancing at the dead Ursaring, I knew I needed to keep the gun with me. I picked it up and stuck it in my belt, the safety on. A couple of Nidorans scampered by along with a couple Gumshoos. I let them run through the camp and back into the jungle without disturbing them. It would be best not to anger the wild Pokemon.

I made my way back towards the hill, pushing my way through bushes, scaring away a couple of Petilils. As I trekked back up, I found my spear, stuck between a tree roots. I tugged on it for ten seconds before it came free and I landed on my butt. A Nincada popped its head out angrily and shot sand at me.

Covering my face, I made my way back up the hill as the Nincada went back into its hole. Once back on top of the hill, I made my way over to the stream. I washed my face and drank. Refreshed, I cleaned my knife before I stood and looked around.

No Pokemon was in sight, but I could hear bird noises, likely Fletchlings. I carefully slid down the hill and back to the ruins. I stuck my spear into the ground and part of it cracked. I sighed. Honestly, I expected it to break much sooner than this considering the wood it was made of.

I decided now would be a great time to explore the ruins a bit, see what I could find. I looked into the structure where the Ursaring was, but nothing. I withdrew and looked around the area. There was one other structure that was half buried into the ground.

It was rectangular in shape, so I circled around it until I found an opening covered in vines. Brushing them aside, I stepped down into what I figured was a small bunker. Light seeped in from a hole in the roof and I could see a skeleton in the corner. Its clothes were badly ripped and faded, so I couldn't really make out what they were.

Near it was a metal box that had rusted over. I opened it carefully, making sure not to cut myself. Inside I found bits of metal, a couple bullets, and copper wiring. I took the wires and looked around the room. In the opposite corner was a bow with a worn leather quiver of arrows. I went over to it and counted seven arrows with steel tips. I picked up a the bow and tested the string. It wasn't in bad condition, but I didn't even know how to use a bow.

I stuffed the wires into the quiver and shouldered it. I made my way out and went back to where my broken spear was. I dumped the stuff next to it and located a long sturdy stick. I hit the ground with it a couple times to make sure it wouldn't break before I sat on a rock. It was slightly curved near one end, so I made sure to carve that as the end piece. Before I moved onto making the tip, I looked at the musket lying in the dirt feet away. The bayonet was slightly rusted, but besides that it was in perfect condition.

I took it off and measured it next to the stick. Nodding, I went over to the quiver. I took out the copper wiring and began wrapping it around both the bayonet and stick. When I was done, the blade was fastened to the stick. Swinging it made me realize it was a bit heavy, but I would get used to that.

I heard a faint cry in the woods and looked to my left. There it was again. It sounded like a wounded Pokemon. Gripping my spear, I made my way towards the sound. Pushing through bushes, I came upon a Bulbasaur. It wasn't hurt, but it looked sad, as it continued to look around, crying out.

"Hey," I said softly, getting its attention. "It's okay."

He looked up at me with frightful eyes and cried sadly. I patted his head and looked around the area. This Bulbasaur was too young to be by himself, so that must mean he got lost. I looked back at the ruins, then back at the lonely Pokemon. It would be beneficial to stay here, but I couldn't just ignore this Pokemon in need.

I sighed and headed back to the ruins. I shouldered the quiver and tucked the bow on my back. I went back to the Bulbasaur and looked around carefully. After a few minutes, I found tracks, big heavy ones by the looks of it.

"Bulbasaur," I said, getting its attention. "Over here."

He waddled over and I let him sniff the tracks. His head rose, eyes gleaming and he cried joyfully.

I smiled and stood, using my spear as a walking stick. "Come on. Let's go find your mother."

We walked side-by-side for a while before we reached a river. The tracks led into the water, which surprised me. Why would the mother go so far away from its child. I put a foot in the water and walked a couple feet. It wasn't too deep and not too far across.

I went back to shore and dumped my stuff on the ground next to Bulbasaur. "Stay here."

I went back in and put my head beneath the water. I could see Magikarps swimming about along with some Wishiwashi and Remoraids. The water definitely got deeper to the point where I would sink ten feet.

I got back to shore and wiped my hair out of my face. I could likely swim across, but with Bulbasaur with me? It was risky.

I looked at the Grass type. "What am I willing to risk for you?"

"Bulba." he said, staring at me with big, pleading eyes.

"Ugh," I gave in. "Fine. But we rest here tonight."

...

I threw a twig into the fire, listening to the night sounds. The flutter of Zubat wings, the scuttling of Bug types. I looked at Bulbasaur who rested comfortably in my lap, his eyes closed.

I sighed and looked up at the stars. "I don't know, Ryan. I don't know if I can do this."

"I've been relying on instinct to survive," I continued. "I've just been lucky to haven't keeled over yet in defeat. And I'm afraid my lucks gonna run out sooner rather than later."

I looked down at the Grass type. "Why am I helping this Pokemon? All it'll do is hinder my survival."

I clenched my fists. "I don't even know why I'm trying to survive! What's the purpose!? They were only cave drawings, nothing more! It proves nothing! There might be no point in me being here! No point in you having died!"

Bulbasaur muttered in his sleep, snuggling closer into my chest as I laid my hand on his head. "No."

I gazed back up at the heavens. "I lived so that I may help others. Surviving can't just be about myself."

I gripped my right fist, a tear rolling down my cheek. "When I reunite this Bulbasaur with its mother, show me what I must do! Show me what I must do to survive!"

Something caught my eye and I turned to look at the river reflecting the starlight. Something was standing above the water. A woman. Her long white hair swept around her, resting on the rippling water. Her white dress sparkled with moonlight, her soft smile and golden eyes taking my breath away. She was beautiful.

She held out a delicate hand, inviting me closer. I scrambled to my feet, knocking Bulbasaur off of me and waking him.

_"Come, Liam."_ She said and floated backwards, disappearing into the jungle on the opposite bank.

I gathered up my stuff and put the Grass type on my shoulders. "Hold on tight."

Then I waded into the river, the ripples making the stars dance.

**My question is, why is he following her!? That's just, no, you don't do that! No matter how pretty the woman is! That's how you die! Jeez, my character is really an idiot. Hold on, should I be talking about my character like that? Is it even legal... Nah, it's fine. Till next time folks. Toodles**


	9. Chapter 8: The Lady in White

Stroke after stroke, I swam through the calm water, Bulbasaur on my back. I spat some water out of my mouth and continued onwards. I was halfway across the river when something wrapped itself around my ankle. It tugged and I tried to yank myself away. I looked at the jungle, the form of the woman gone now.

"No," I whispered. "Come back. Please."

Then I was pulled under.

...

_I dragged myself back on the boat and glared at Ryan. "Why'd you throw me in!?"_

_He chuckled. "How else are you going to learn how to swim?"_

_"Maybe if you'd actually teach me," I snapped._ _"Instead of just tossing me in!"_

_He tussled my hair. "There's no better teacher than experience __little__ bro."_

...

I opened my eyes, the water around me still. I looked down, seeing a Huntail had wrapped its serpent-like body around my right leg. I kicked and thrashed, bubbles billowing upwards, but to no avail. I reached for my spear and pulled it out of my belt. I plunged the tip down and pierced the Pokemon.

Blood floated from the wound and the Huntail uncurled from my body and went limp. Then, out of the darkness, more Huntails swam for me. My throat was burning from holding my breath for so long, I didn't know how much longer I could last.

Suddenly, leaves were zipping through the water, scattering the Water types. I looked up. Bulbasaur was clinging to my head, his eyes wide. I kicked upwards, bringing us to the surface.

I gasped and took in several gulps of air. After a few seconds, I reached up and touched the Grass type. "Thank you."

"Bulba."

Scattered around us, floating on the surface of the water were the arrows from my quiver. I stuck the spear into my belt and gathered six of the seven arrows I could find. Then I swam us to shore, Bulbasaur launching leaves into the water to keep the Huntails at bay.

I crawled onto shore and collapsed there, feeling the pain in my leg. I lifted the pant leg and saw two marks where the Huntail must've bit into me. Blood leaked out of the small holes and I had no idea if Huntails had venom.

I ripped part of my pant leg and wrapped it tightly around the wound. Wincing in pain, I stood, almost buckling under the pain. I stared into the jungle, trying desperately to get a glimpse of the woman.

I limped forwards. "C'mon Bulbasaur. Let's get going."

"Bulba?" The Grass type said, but I ignored him. We could find his mother later. And if we were lucky, we would find his mother along the way.

I half ran, half limped through the jungle. The moon shone down through the leaves, lighting the forest in an eerie glow.

I could see her now. She was there. Just beyond those trees.

I stumbled out of the jungle and into a clearing. Small, stone structures were placed haphazardly, and the whole area gave off chilling vibes.

"Hello," I called out weekly, my leg pulsing with pain. "Are you there?"

I walked among the stone huts, scattered pieces of wood and stone littering the ground. Then I reached the middle of the clearing. There she was. The lady in white. Her dress billowed slightly around her, her hair swirling along with it. Her smile, it was so beautiful.

_"Liam,"_ she said softly. _"I've been waiting for you."_

"Yes," I said, mesmerized. "I'm here."

She held out her arms wide to embrace me. Feeling very happy, I took a step forwards.

CRUNCH

I looked down. My foot had punctured through a human rib cage. The shock of it snapped me back to my senses and I looked up, time seeming to have slowed.

The woman was no longer there. Instead it was a wispy figure with a misshapen purple face, its wispy body ending in a trail of black smoke. Its long blood stained claws were connected to its long arms, reaching out for me.

_"You are mine!"_

I stumbled backwards, tripping over the skeleton. I scrambled to my feet and ran. I zigzagged past the stone huts and slipped into one. I crouched in a corner, breathing heavily. A shadow flickered by the window and I held my breath. Then it stopped. Its form shifted and floated away.

Silently, I crept to the window and peered through. It was gone. Then I heard a cry of pain and the sound of slashing. Then the noises stopped. Something rolled along the ground beneath the window. It was a bulb. The bulb found on the back of Bulbasaurs. And it was covered in blood.

I fell back in horror, clamping my hands on my mouth to keep myself from screaming. An unearthly scream sounded from outside somewhere and I shut my eyes, trying to block the noise.

The scream died away, but I still kept my eyes shut. A chill passed through me and I felt a presence near me. I opened my eyes to see that thing above me, a warped grin on its face. I screamed and rolled to the side, avoiding its claws.

I ran out of the stone house and tried to run into the jungle, but I couldn't reach it. I could see the trees, but for some reason they kept getting further away. I instead ran through the clearing, hearing the creature giving off bloodcurdling screams.

I spared a glance behind me to see it closing in. Then I tripped and crashed onto the ground. My whole body felt weak and my leg worse of all. I pushed myself off the ground with my hands, seeing bones littering the ground all around me. I flipped onto my back and watched as the creature floated above me.

It cackled. _"Come into me child. Fuel my spirit!"_

I reached for the closest thing I had on me. I pulled out the knife and jabbed upwards just as the creature descended on me. The blade passed through the wispy figure and it began to cackle at my poor attempt. Then the knife glowed purple and began smoking. The creature howled in pain and withdrew from me, fleeing out of sight.

I looked at the knife in surprise and saw a symbol etched into the blade. A circle with a bloody eye in the middle.

Shaking my head, I got to my feet and ran in the opposite direction that thing had. I burst back into the jungle, running for all I was worth. Then my vision began to go blurry. The pain in my leg had been reduced to a dull throbbing sensation. That couldn't be good.

I collapsed to the ground, tumbling in the dirt. My hand hit a tree root and the knife went flying out of my hand. I tried to get up, but my body wouldn't let me.

"No," I said faintly. "I... need... to... get... up..."

With my last ounce of strength, I pushed myself off the ground. Darkness flooded my vision and I collapsed on my stomach, the world fading away into nothingness.

**Eight chapters in already! This is pretty amazing! Granted, they are all around 1000 words each so that might explain how quick this is going. Though hopefully starting next chapter they'll begin to get longer, which should take more time for them to be released, in theory. Who can say at this point. Well, that's it for this. Oh, and yeah, I did just kill off Bulbasaur. Deal with it. Toodles**


	10. Chapter 9: Hospitality

For who knows how long, I drifted in and out of consciousness. I felt myself being lifted into the air, the feeling of leaves falling from my body. I had tried to open my eyes, but all I could see were blurry images of the jungle. At one point, I woke up on a hard surface, bright sunlight upon my face. I could hear murmurs, incoherent voices. Then I drifted back into darkness.

...

I barely opened my eyes, allowing them to adjust to the light. An aroma drifted by and I inhaled deeply. It was a pleasant smell. Flowers perhaps?

I blinked as I stared up at circular wooden roof, circles spreading from the center of it, like the kind you would see on a stump after being cut down. I lay on a bed of leaves and flowers, which was surprisingly comfy.

I turned my head to look around the room. It was actually kinda small and it looked as if I were inside a tree trunk. If I had to guess, I would say the diameter was ten feet while the ceiling was around seven. Close to my bed of nature, a small table was carved out of the wooden wall, an assortment of herbs and flowers littered across it. Fungi that glowed dimly with light like the sun sprouted from the walls, giving the room a relaxing feel to it.

Something moved from the floor and I looked. A Morelull was gazing up at me.

"Lull?"

I tried to speak, but my throat felt so sore that it hurt, so I gave up. The Morelull went across the room to a section where the wall was missing, where vines hung instead. Light streamed inside between them and more filtered through as the Morelull pushed through.

I lay there, my muscles feeling too sore for me to sit up. I felt my side and only felt a dull ache. I went to lift my tattered shirt up when I realized I was no longer wearing it nor any of my stuff. Instead I wore a tunic woven from leaves along with pants made from leaves as well. They were so well made that I almost couldn't tell they were made from leaves. They also felt like leather and as tough.

The light from outside dimmed as a shadow fell across the vines. They parted as a woman entered, wearing a woven leaf dress that was splattered with different kinds of herbs, which she didn't appear bothered by. Her waist long green hair only furthered matched her dress, her teal eyes sparkling.

She wore a kind smile and sat down next to me. "How are you feeling?"

I was too dumbfounded to say anything. Where was I? Was I still on the island? Had I been rescued?

Then it hit me. That was English she was speaking. If I was still on the island, how was she speaking English.

I opened my mouth, ready to ask questions, but first I croaked, "Water."

She continued to smile. "Don't worry. Shiinotic will be here soon."

Just a few seconds later, Morelull returned along with a Shiinotic who carried a clay cup filled with crystal clear water. I tried to move my hands to grab it, but they were shaking terribly.

"Here," the woman said, taking the cup from the Pokemon. She then lifted my head up and helped me drink. I gulped down the water and in no time it was gone.

She gently laid down my head again. "Good. Now, it's time to redress your leg."

She lifted my right pant leg and removed a coating of flowers from the Huntail bite. Shiinotic then handed her a wet piece of moss that she patted down my wound with.

"Thankfully," she said, accepting more herbs from Shiinotic. "The Huntail's bite was the only thing major. Everything else was just minor bruising that are cured with really just time."

She began mashing them in a clay bowl before applying them to my wound. I winced at the sharp sting, but then it receded to a numbing sensation.

As she stood up, wiping her hands on her dress, I asked, "Who are you?"

She smiled and knelt next to my head. "Meda. Yours?"

"Liam," I said, then yawned, all of the sudden feeling very tired.

She stroked my hair. "Just rest now. Sleep is good for healing."

I took her word for it and let myself drift away into sleep.

...

I was back in the ruins of the abandoned village. Bulbasaur lay dead and mutilated at my feet, the ground buried beneath piles and piles of bones. A malevolent presence sent chills down my spine and that _thing_ appeared before me.

_"Need... Need... Need flesh..."_

It's claws struck out and I jolted awake, sweating and breathing hard. I looked at the vines and saw no light filtering through, only darkness.

"Must be night," I murmured, the only light from the faint glow of the fungi.

I sat up, barely feeling pain from my sore muscles. I felt around my leg and felt no pain. I lifted the pant leg and saw that there were no more herbs plastered on the wound. It was healing great and I sighed in relief.

I lowered the pant leg and stood, grabbing onto the wall for support. The wall was smooth and once again I wondered if I was inside a tree. Near the entrance was a cup of water, which I took and drank. Refreshed, I hesitated on going outside. However, my need to know answers to all the questions I had urged me on.

Pushing aside the vines, I stepped outside, my bare feet stepping on cool grass. Wherever I was, it must be a deeper part of the jungle. Giant trees that reached far into the night with thick trunks sprouted out of the ground. They were spaced out in the darkness, making room for small wooden huts that were scattered around. Glowing fungi lit the darkness and highlighted a path that weaved between trees, the undergrowth everywhere except near the huts and on the path.

Looking at all the wooden structures, I knew it couldn't just be that woman here.

"Lull."

I looked down to see the Morelull gazing up at me.

"Hey," I said, kneeling down and reaching out my hand.

The Morelull hopped onto my hand and continued to stare at me.

I looked around. "Where are we? What is this place?"

"Venusaur's Heart," said a voice behind me and I turned to see the woman there, smiling. "Glad to see you're up and about."

I gently placed Morelull down. "Venusaur's Heart?"

She nodded. "This part of the jungle is the most lush and lively of it all. A blessing from Venusaur. That however, can be explained later. In short, this is where the Jungle Tribe lives."

"Jungle Tribe?" I asked, more confused.

She laughed, a beautiful sound that filled the night air. "I can see you have a lot of questions. Don't worry, Liam. The Elders will attempt to answer them all when you meet them."

I nodded, my brain hurting, but I needed one question asked right now. "How do you speak English?"

Her face darkened, her smile vanishing. "It would be best that you didn't ask the Elders that."

"But why?" I asked, even more curious.

She shook her head. "It only will bring up terrible memories of the past. Just leave that part alone and just be grateful we can all understand each other."

"Now," she said, her smile back on her face. "You should get more rest before you meet the Elders in the morning."

She headed back into what I now could see as a tree and I followed.

I sat down on the bed as she sorted herbs on her table. "Who exactly are you?"

"Meda," she said. "I'm the Healer and Spiritual Guide to the Jungle Tribe. You could say I'm kinda important."

She laughed and I cracked a smile. I don't know what it was, but it felt so good to talk to another human.

"For a Spiritual Guide you don't seem that old," I joked and she laughed.

"Tell me about it," she said. "I used to be an apprentice, but my mentor died around a year ago. Thankfully I have a ways to go before I'm old and gray as her."

"Thank you," I whispered.

She handed me a bowl of soup, smoke curling from it. "For what?"

"For healing me," I said. "And for, well, just being here. I didn't think I would be able to talk to another human ever."

"Well," she kissed my forehead. "I'm just glad I was able to heal you. Now eat, then get some rest."

She left and I sat there, staring at the bowl. That kiss... I felt the spot where she had kissed me. It reminded me of something... something I had thought I wouldn't have remembered after all these years. The kiss of a mother.

I felt a tear slide down my cheek and I stopped it before it could fall. I didn't know why I could remember that feeling. I didn't even remember my own mother.

I drank the soup and put the bowl aside. I laid down, trying to dissolve in that feeling. The only thing I now had of my mother.

**Sorry for the delay of this chapter. I had this done a while ago, but I turned my attention to HBoD, cause you know, I kinda need to finish it. Plus, I was planning this book a bit more and figuring out what I need to do from here on out. So yeah. If you're asking how this turn of events will play into Liam's survival, that's good. So, till next chapter of this. Toodles**


	11. Chapter 10: The Elders

"Rise and shine kid."

I blinked away my drowsiness and covered my eyes at the sunlight streaming through the parted vines. A guy stood outlined in the sunlight, his black hair pulled back in a ponytail. He wore a green tunic and pants like mine, made from leaves. He had a sort of roughened expression, but when he smiled, he looked friendly enough.

I rose, feeling a whole lot better. As I stood, I felt no waves of dizziness.

I felt my body. "Woah."

The guy smirked. "Yeah, Meda's good at her job."

"Shii!"

The Shiinotic that had brought me water before pushed past him, carrying a leaf. On the leaf were a couple purple herbs, which the Grass type presented to me.

"Thanks," I said, grabbing them and staring at them.

The guy smiled. "Eat them. They'll give you energy for the morning. Especially for your meeting."

I gave him a quizzical look. "Meeting?"

He nodded. "Yes. It's time for you to meet with the Elders. They'll judge you accordingly."

He held out his hand as I finished swallowing and I took it. He pulled me up and gave me a look over.

"Yeah," he said. "You're better. Follow."

Even before I went outside, I could feel the humidity in the air. I think I noticed it before when I was wandering in the jungle, but here it was thicker, much more noticeable. I wondered why I couldn't feel it last night, but I chalked that up to still not being at one hundred percent.

As we exited the tree, I was about to ask the guy a question, but I quickly stopped. Unlike the night before, the area was bustling with activity. The sun shone through the leaves overhead, people about. A group of people with bows were heading off the trail and deeper into the jungle. Some sat on mossy stones and sharpened hunting knives, while others carried baskets of fruits along the trail. They all wore the same attire such as me and the guy I was with, including the woman who were doing everything the men were doing.

"Woah," I said, though the people weren't the only things I was staring at.

From what I could see, Pokemon were a main factor in everything going on as much as the humans were. Staraptors flew above the hunters heading into the jungle, presumably helping to hunt prey. Several Meganiums lumbered by, helping to carry woven baskets filled to the brim with colorful fruits, all of which were unfamiliar to me. Several Whirlipedes rolled by and I heard loud buzzing overhead. I looked up to see half a dozen Yanmegas fly by, people on their backs.

The guy next to me nudged me, which brought me back to attention. "It's refreshing to see an outsider amazed at all this."

I nodded. "It's... incredible. I mean, you've all lived on this island for who knows how many generations and you prosper."

He laughed. "I never really considered this place an island. It's such a huge place, it might as well be its own thing."

"Yeah," I said, watching as several Vivillions fluttered by. "Still, it's beautiful."

We walked along the trail, the guy occasionally saying something in a strange language to people passing by.

"What are you saying?" I asked after the fourth time he did this.

He looked at me. "It's our way of saying hello. _Bavi._"

"Bavi," I repeated. "Huh."

After a few seconds, "You never told me your name."

"Ah," he rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about that. I guess I've been too busy watching you admire everything. It's like you stepped into another world."

_"I did,"_ I thought and he stuck out his hand.

"The name's Eric," he said, shaking my hand.

I considered asking him how he got that name, since I was pretty sure that name wasn't native to here. Then as our hands parted, I realized another thing. How did he know about a handshake? I wanted to ask, but remembering what Meda had said about not asking how they knew English, it probably wasn't a good idea.

As we walked, I saw a wooden structure built between two trees, fruits were being sorted by people and Lilligants. Nearby, several large clay pots were positioned above fires, the sweet smell of cooking fruits wafting our way. Several Vigoroths and Grovyles stirred them, as more fruits were added by a woman passing by.

To my left I saw that a tree had been hollowed out at the base life the place I had been resting in. A Leavanny sat inside, weaving clothes out of leaves, aided by several Sewaddles. Now I knew where the clothes came from and how they were so expertly done. The Leavanny looked up and waved one of her cutter arms. I waved back and smiled.

"Oh yeah," Eric said, steering us over to Leavanny. "Do you have them ready."

Leavanny nodded and clapped her cutter arms, a Sewaddle bustling over from a corner. He carried two slip on shoes made of leaves and presented them to me.

"For your feet," Eric said, as if it wasn't plainly obvious enough. "I would think you don't like walking around barefoot everywhere."

"I hadn't really noticed," I lied. Of course I'd noticed. At times the ground was nice and soft, but at times it got a little rocky. I just didn't want to seem rude.

I took them from the Sewaddle and slipped them on. They were surprisingly comfy, though I should have guess from the other leave clothing I wore.

"Thank you," I told the Sewaddle and repeated it to the Leavanny.

Sewaddle leaped with joy and bustled away. Leavanny smiled and patted me on the arm.

"Leavanny!" She cried.

Waving goodbye, we left and continued on. Soon, we reached a huge flower. It's sheer size was breathtaking to behold, one of it's giant petals high above my head, casting a shadow over the earth. The stem itself was several times thicker than the surrounding trees, which were thick enough to support living quarters inside of them. Taking a closer look at it, I realized it was the flower that could be found on a Venusaur's back.

"How big is this thing?" I asked, amazed.

Eric grinned. "I would guess around a couple clearings, area wise. About a hundred feet up, maybe two hundred."

I shook my head, almost not believing it. "Where did it come from?"

He opened his mouth to say something, then noticed an ageing man near the base of the stem. "It can be explained later. In the meantime, you have a meeting with the Elders of the Jungle Tribe."

He patted me on the shoulder, then turned around and walked away. I looked at him leaving, then at the old man. He had no hair except for the white beard. He wore a robe made from leaves that reached down to his ankles, where I could see he was barefoot. His eyes were blue, but a warm kind of blue.

I walked up to him. "So, um, hi."

The old man smiled warmly and beckoned me to follow him. Gulping nervously, I followed. We walked around the stem to find a clump of mossy boulders that acted as natural stairs, bigger ones circling the edge of the tall stem. He began walking up them and I followed suit.

After about six tall stones, they stopped and were replaced by bumps in the stem. As hard as the dark wood stem, the bumps were big enough to have two people stand shoulder-to-shoulder on one. At first glance, I didn't trust them. But when the old man just simply stepped off the last boulder and onto it, I decided to follow his example. They felt pretty sturdy and we ascended the "stairs".

I'd say around halfway up was when the humidity really started to kill me. The clothing I wore did a pretty good job of absorbing the moisture collected on my skin, but it still didn't feel all that great. At one point I had to catch myself before I uttered a verbal complaint. I needed a good first impression. Or was it second by now?

"No," I shook my head. "Definitely the first. For the Elders at least."

Within a couple minutes, we had reached the top. It definitely looked like a Venusaur's flower now. We stepped onto the huge pinkish leaves and headed inwards to the top of the stem. An opening was made in the the yellow top and we entered inside. Seated in a circle were a group of a dozen or so old people, men and women.

They all wore the same clothing as the Elder who led me up here and he gestured me into the middle of them. I walked in-between two Elders and stood in the circle, the old man who brought me up here taking the seat where I had entered from.

"You may be seated," they all spoke in unison now, which was pretty intimidating. All their voices mixed together in perfect harmony. Their voices left a slight ringing presence, in which I had to concentrate to hear the individual tones of their voices.

Realizing I hadn't sat down yet, I hastily made to do so, landing uncomfortably on my foot. I winced and readjusted myself. I felt my face go red in embarrassment, but I tried to ignore that.

"Close your eyes Liam," They spoke again.

For some reason I felt compelled to do what they asked. I did what they wanted and closed my eyes. They began to chant, their words washing over me until it really did sound like they were of one voice. The chant spiraled on and I felt myself pulled into my mind along with that voice.

No secret was withheld from them, no lie covered. They saw the last couple days from my eyes, felt my sorrow of losing my brother and my determination of surviving for his sake. They felt my fear and my anticipation.

After what felt like forever, they withdrew from my mind and I opened my eyes. They all stared at me before conversing with each other in their own language. Having no idea what they were saying, I sat there in my own awkward place, feeling very nervous.

After several minutes, one of the Elders who looked older than the rest looked at me. He had the longest white beard by far which I assumed could reach down to his knees. He had green eyes that seemed to soothe me, making me feel somewhat at ease.

"So Liam," he said in a soft voice. "We have determined you are not here to harm us nor the island. Anything you have done was all in order for you to survive, which is natural. And you have no connection to the events that plagued our land not even a generation ago."

Now I had even more questions for these strange people, but now probably wasn't the best time.

"So," he went on. "We have concluded you can be welcomed into the Jungle Tribe. Here you can live in relative peace with amongst the other tribes folk and Pokemon. You'll be taught our language and taught how to survive."

His eyes grew a little colder. "However, you must also learn of our laws. If you cannot do that, then you have no place here."

"What," I began timidly. "What happens if I end up making a mistake?"

He smiled, which didn't make me feel as uncomfortable. "Mistakes are a part of life. Simple ones will only warrant minor punishments. Though breaking a rule deliberately will result in harsh consequences."

"Enough of having you listen to us," he said kindly. "Go, find Eric and tell him of what we have said. Then have him show you around the Tribe's home. Tomorrow you shall join the border patrol's group and explore the outer edge of our territory. There you will be taught most of our laws, as well as when you are with Eric."

I nodded and stood on shaky legs. "Thank you very much. I'll try my best to be one of you."

I left, desperate to get away from them. Sure they were nice and all, but they were still pretty intimidating. As I left the yellow crown of the stem, they began conversing again in their language and I had a feeling it was still about me.

...

"Should we tell him?" One of the female elders asked.

The Head Elder shook his head. "No. It's best he doesn't know. It'll be safer for him that way."

"But he might still hear about it," another argued.

Again, he shook his head. "No one will disobey that law. Those memories are still fresh in everyone's mind."

He sighed and looked to where the thirteenth Elder was supposed to be sitting. "Especially in ours."

**And the mystery deepens. But now Liam's basically one of them. He can live a life there now and never have to worry about anything ever happening again, right? Okay, yeah, even I don't believe myself. Oh well, you're all just going to have to wait and see for what I have in store for this tale. On a different topic, HBoD is finished. Old news by now. That just means I have more time for this story. And also for LDOC (Life, Death, Order, and Chaos), the sequel to HBoD. While it's not published yet, I feel like I'm already doing a better job writing it than I did in the beginning of HBoD. So once I get a cover, I'll be publishing the chapters. In the meantime, you'll get this story to read. So enjoy. Toodles**


	12. Chapter 11: Venusaur's Blessing

I'm going to be honest. I almost fell off when heading down the stem. Twice. When I finally got to the ground, I collapsed next to the stem, breathing hard. I laid my head against it and closed my eyes. The humidity was really going to kill me.

"So," said a voice, and I looked up to see Eric standing over me, a bow slung over his shoulder. "How'd it go? I'm going to assume your sweating from the climb and not the results."

I gave him a weak thumbs up. "They said I could stay. I just need to learn the rules,language, and learn my way around the tribe from you."

Eric nodded. "Figures. Anything else?"

I thought about it, then remembered. "Oh yeah. They want me to go on the border patrol tomorrow."

Eric raised an eyebrow. "Already? Huh. Well then, we'd better get started. You'll need to prepare."

I hastily got to my feet. "Prepare?"

He nodded, smiling. "Clothes won't be an issue, but you might need hunting supplies. As well as food and water. Come on. Follow me."

He shouldered a quiver of arrows and started walking. I followed after him, walking a bit faster to walk by his side. He was only a foot taller than me, but that didn't intimidate me. He seemed much more likable than the Elders. Plus he was friendly.

He led me back to the Leavanny from earlier and said, "Stay here for now. I made a catch just ten minutes from here. I don't want it to spoil. I'll be back shortly. Leavanny, make sure the kid doesn't get into trouble."

"Leavanny!"

He hurried off and I sat outside the tree, trying not to think about what the "catch" was. A couple Sewaddles scuttled up near me and looked at me.

"Sewaddle sewaddle sewaddle!"

I smiled and rubbed their leaf colored heads gently, careful not to ruin the leaves. They leaped with joy and scuttled away. Leavanny smiled and patted me on the head with her cutter arm before going back to sewing clothes.

"Oh, hello," said a feminine voice and I saw Meda walking over, her Morelull on her shoulder. "I take it the Elders are letting you stay?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Eric was going to show me around, but he had to grab a catch from the forest."

Meda smiled. "Well you're in good hands. Eric is highly respected for being so young."

I frowned. "How old is he?"

"23," She replied. "Sure he's been hunting for ten years now, but he's still good for his age."

She was smiling so warmly, I felt at ease. With my mind relaxed, my questions surfaced once more.

Hesitant at first, I asked a question I deemed safe to be voiced aloud. "So, how is this part of the jungle so lush and huge? And why is that flower a Venusaur's flower?"

Meda smiled and sat down beside me, the Leavanny looking up from her work for a moment.

"Well," Meda said. "That's a story commonly known as Venusaur's Blessing. This place, which is called Venusaur's Heart, is proof of it. Much more lush, habitable, and bigger than the rest of the jungle."

She waved her hand in front of her and I looked up into the tall trees, the lush plants, and the people and Pokemon thriving here.

"Long ago," she went on. "There used to be a huge Venusaur that roamed this part of the island. It is said she used to carry humans and Pokemon on her back. Some even lived on her."

Tucking my legs in, I got comfortable. I had a feeling this story was going to be good.

Meda must have seen the eager expression on my face, because she gave me a smile and went on. "She protected everything that lived here, from the smallest Pokemon to the largest tree. It was all hers and hers to protect."

"But one day," she said, a finger raised. "One fateful day, disaster struck. The whole island was plunged into chaos. The mountain in the far West, past the Central Mountains, puffed out huge clouds of black smoke and spit fire."

"We're located in the East," she said, seeing my strained expression of trying to figure out where we were. "Much of that fire managed to rain down on us, lighting the forest on fire. It struck the spot where that huge flower is now."

She pointed to the Venusaur's flower. "Where the tribe lives now was burnt jungle. The outside jungle was contained by Venusaur herself and she kept the fire in one location. When the island began to settle into harmony once more, she used up all of her life energy to regrow this part of the jungle."

Her expression became somber. "Using that much life energy was fatal for her however. Soon after creating this haven for us, she planted a seed where the fire had first struck. Then she laid down to rest, the earth absorbing her, breaking her down to the smallest particles. The earth became so enriched with her body, this part of the jungle became much bigger and more lush."

She turned her gaze back to the huge flower. "The seed she'd planted has grown into that, a memento to what this island has lost."

I sucked in a breath. "Whoa."

Meda laughed. "Whoa is right. Because of her sacrifice, the Jungle Tribe keeps her memories alive by worshiping her and holding monthly gatherings."

I was wowed to say the least. After seeing so much on this island so far, I had no doubt everything Meda had said was true. It also fit perfectly as a religion story.

_"So even people out here have a god they worship,"_ I thought. _"This is amazing!"_

"I'm back," Eric said, his bow and quiver now gone. "Hey Meda. Keeping the kid entertained?"

She nodded and stood. "Just finished telling him about Venusaur's Blessing."

Eric closed his eyes and smiled. "Ah, yes. Good memories."

He opened his eyes. "Well, come on kid. It's time to show you around Venusaur's Heart."

Meda left to go back to her Medical Tree and Eric led me further into the home of the Jungle Tribe. We passed groups of people and Pokemon carrying baskets of fruit. Eric grabbed a purple fruit from a passing Victreebel and tossed me it. Biting into it, I discovered it had a pleasant taste and was tangy at all.

Eric pointed out the spot where I had seen some Vigoroths and Grovyles cooking earlier. A Sceptile sat on a branch above them now, observing the cooking.

"Smells good guys," Eric said as we passed between them, the aroma especially appealing. Whatever meat was being cooked smelled good.

I looked back up at the Sceptile, who had his eyes narrowed at me. I gulped and hurried after Eric.

He laughed. "Don't worry about him. Sceptile is wary of everyone here, except the ones he knows well. He's very protective of the jungle."

I nodded and glanced back, thankful the Grass type's gaze was back on the cooks.

Soon we came to an open clearing where dozens of Yanmegas milled around, either on the ground, buzzing low above the earth, or clinging to trees.

"This," Eric said pointing at the Bug types. "Is where we let the Yanmegas hang out. They're good for going around the Heart quick and easy."

"Why aren't we using them then?" I asked as a woman boarded one of the Pokemon and flew over us.

"Because getting a good ground experience of the place helps when in the air," Eric said. "Plus you miss small details that way."

I nodded. His explanation made perfect sense, though my feet begged to differ. Further along, we reached the point where the difference between the Heart and the rest of the jungle was apparent.

"We won't go into the rest of the jungle," Eric said. "You'll do that tomorrow when you go on patrol. But it's good to know where the Heart ends."

He pointed deeper into the forest where I saw a couple people and Scythers chopping down small trees. "We also cut down trees for common purposes. Sceptile usually makes his rounds once week to regrow lost trees for us so we don't run out."

"Sceptile does a lot around here," I noted.

Eric nodded. "He is truly the Jungle Guardian. At least that's what most of us call him."

We moved further into Venusaur's Heart and found a cluster of trees where many of the trunks were carved into to make sleeping quarters.

"Is this where everyone sleeps?" I asked.

"Mostly," Eric said. "There are spots all over the Heart where you can find someone snoozing. Some are way up in the trees."

Finding I'd dislike having to sleep up so high, I decided to decline any request to sleep up in a tree if offered.

We moved on past the cluster of trees and back to the main path that led throughout the whole tribe. We walked along it for a bit until we came to a section between two large trees. A wooden wall was constructed between them and bows and quivers of arrows were hung upon it. On the ground near the place was a basket of fresh fruit, a pot of water, and a sack you could wear on your back.

Eric picked up a flask made from I guess a Ursaring's skin and filled it with water. He handed it to me. "Here, tie it to your waist."

I took it and discovered it had a small cord weaved through it. I found a small loop made into the waist of my pants, so I tied the flask to it.

I looked up to see Eric finishing filling a sack with fruits. He handed it to me and I pulled the straps on my shoulders. He then picked up a bow, tested the string, then picked up a quiver of arrows. After checking the tips of about a dozen arrows, he handed both to me.

Putting them on my back, Eric nodded approvingly. "That should keep you good for a couple days."

"A couple days?" I asked warily.

He smiled. "Don't worry. Patrolling may take a while, but it's not dangerous. Usually."

"Not comforting," I muttered as we headed back up the trail.

Further up the path I could see the Medical Tree where Meda was. At the moment I could only see her Shiinotic carrying a bundle of herbs.

Eric came to a stop. "Well, I think that's enough for today. There are still some places you haven't seen, but you'll know the whole Heart by, well, heart within the first two weeks or so. You must be dead on your feet."

Surprisingly, I wasn't as tired as he might've thought I was. I guess walking through the jungle and falling down hills must've toughened me up somehow. However, the humidity was still killer, though not as much as near the Venusaur Flower.

"Uh, yeah," I said. "I am kinda tired."

Eric nodded. "Follow me. I know of a quiet place near my tree where you can rest for the night. That way you don't have to feel uncomfortable near everyone else."

I nodded as we headed past the Medical Tree for about a quarter of a mile. He pointed to a tree where there was a entrance carved into it, covered by a set of vines. However, mossy stones led up to it, about ten feet off the ground.

Eric put his hands on his hips proudly. "I always meant to use this place for something, but I guess you can have it. Oh, and I took the liberty of placing your old stuff in there. I took the gun away, for safety measures. Many wouldn't take kindly to you having it."

He patted me on the shoulder and pointed to a tree about several hundred yards away. "I'll be over there, so no need to worry."

He left, waving a hand.

I looked back at the tree. "Great. And I can't even complain about it."

Then my brain caught up to what he had said. I raised an eyebrow at him as he walked further away and muttered, "How do you and anyone else here know about guns?"

Shaking my head, I climbed up the mossy stones, trying to quell the burning questions in my mind. I parted the vines and went into the spacious tree. It was about as big as Meda's Medical Tree and as tall. I noticed my stuff lying on a bed made of leaves. I picked up my spear, the slightly rusted bayonet cleaned of rust.

"Huh," I thought. "I didn't expect them to clean it."

My knife lay next to it as well as my bow and quiver of arrows. Taking the new bow and quiver of my back, I realized I didn't need the old ones anymore. Taking the old ones, I placed them off to the side, leaning against the wall. The flint and steel were there as well along with the copper wiring, so I placed the flint and steel in separate pockets. No need for them to rub together and burn me alive. I stuffed the wiring along with the flint before sitting on the floor.

Suddenly, I remembered the most important thing I was missing. I tore up a couple leaves before I found it and let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. I picked up my brothers dog-tags and held them to my heart. Sighing, I put them around my neck, tucking them beneath my shirt.

Moving my spear and knife off to the side with my new equipment, I collapsed on the bed. Tired from the day's events, I immediately fell asleep.

**So Liam is accepted into the tribe. Who else thinks this isn't going to be that easy? Huh? Foreshadowing much? Nah. You guys could never guess what I have planned. Toodles**


	13. Chapter 12: The Forbidden Lands

I awoke, feeling very refreshed. Sunlight streamed in through the vines and filtered upon me. I stuck my hand out of the vines and estimated that the humidity wasn't that bad. Then I felt something crawl onto my hand and I went stone still.

My heart pounded inside my chest and I held my breath as whatever it was began to climb its way up my arm. When it poked its head through the vines, I released the breath I had been holding. It was a Scatterbug.

"Hey there," I said, reaching out my hand to pet it, but the Scatterbug darted back behind the vines and up the tree.

I poked my head out and stared at its retreating form. "You know, that's not very nice."

As I said that, a Staraptor flew out of nowhere and snatched the Bug type in its talons. My mouth dropped open as the Flying type flew away with its breakfast.

"That's just messed up," I muttered.

I sighed and looked out at the jungle. The ground was dappled with sunlight, the huge trees everywhere I turned my head to. I could see Eric's tree home in the distance, then I noticed something else. An Elder was there, speaking to him.

Now I felt like I was intruding, but I couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about. If I could get closer...

I shook my head. "No no no. That wouldn't work even if they were speaking English."

Plus I didn't exactly want to get caught eavesdropping. My permission to stay here might get revoked, or worse. It was safe here. I didn't want to jeopardize that.

I pulled my head back into my tree and looked at my stuff. The Elders had said I was going on patrol today and Eric did get me what I needed for it. I grabbed the bag of fruit and slung it on my back, then tied the flask of water to my hip. I pulled the quiver of arrows on my shoulder as well as my bow, then hooked the knife onto my pants. I could picture an image of how cool I looked, but I had a feeling I looked ridiculous. Because that's how I felt.

I grabbed my spear and twirled it, then dropped it inches from my foot, point down. Probably not a good idea to play around with it. I decided to take it anyway. I then felt the lump beneath my shirt, feeling the metal dog tags against my chest.

I breathed in, then out. "I will survive brother. This tribe, I have a feeling it'll be a good place for me to do so."

"But," I turned my gaze back to the vines where the sunlight streamed in. "There's still something off about them. I don't know what it is, but I definitely don't know what the full story is."

I took a deep breath. "So, whatever it is, even if it goes against what you wanted me to do, I will discover the truth. It's my duty as an explorer."

I smiled sadly, thinking of what felt like a different life.

_"What do you want to be when you grow up?"_ _Ryan had asked me once when I was younger._

_"An explorer!" I had announced enthusiastically._

_Ryan had smiled, tussling my hair. "And why's that?"_

_"Because I want to know all that there is,"_ _I remember saying confidently._ _"I'll leave no stone unturned to find the truth wherever I go!"_

"I must hold true to myself," I whispered. "But brother, I promise I will still survive."

Making sure I had everything, I pushed aside the vines and stepped onto the mossy rocks outside. I climbed down the rocks and landed on the forest floor, ready for whatever the day could throw at me.

"Good morning."

I turned to see Eric walking over.

"Hey," I said casually, noticing the Elder was gone. "So, when's our patrol?"

Eric looked confused for a second before he waved his hand. "Sorry, caught me off guard for a second. I'm not going on patrol. It's just you and a few others. I have other business to attend to."

"What for?" I asked, wondering if that's what the Elder was talking to him about.

"Well," Eric considered it for a moment. "I guess it couldn't hurt to tell you, since it slightly involves you. Just don't go blabbing about it will you?"

I nodded. "Sure."

Eric smiled. "Perfect. The thing is, the Elders have a mission for me. They want me to go back to where you exited the cave."

I panicked for a moment, wondering how he knew, then remembered the Elders. They were somehow able to see inside my head. That's how he knew.

"But why?" I asked.

Eric rubbed his head. "It seems they're concerned with that Hypno you mentioned. We thought we got rid of him a while back, but I guess he's still around."

Shuddering from those particular memories, I asked, "Has he caused trouble for your, well, I guess our tribe now, before?"

Eric nodded. "In one way or another. Anyway, they're sending me to spy on him. I'll also be taking a Shiftry for protection."

The long-nosed Wicked Pokemon dropped from above, munching on something that spilled orange goop. He swallowed and wiped his mouth with his leaves and snarled at me.

I took a fearful step back and Eric just laughed. "Don't worry. Shiftry just tries to look intimidating. He's kinda like Sceptile in a way."

Shiftry looked angry and Eric raised his hands in apology. "Sorry."

He glanced back at me. "He and Sceptile have a bitter rivalry."

I chuckled nervously, hoping that whatever Shiftry was eating, it was nothing but a fruit.

Eric then pointed in a direction where I was pretty sure the trail was. "Head that way and follow the trail to its end. The patrol party will be waiting, so get a move on."

I nodded and waved goodbye as I jogged away. My stuff banged against me, but it wasn't too much of a bother thankfully. When I reached the trail I continued on until I saw a group of three people up ahead. Surprisingly, they were all around my age, around 16.

A boy with long black hair in a ponytail like Eric's stood near the right, his blue eyes gazing up into the trees, apparently lost in thought. The other two were girls, sisters I presumed from their matching facial features, from their green eyes, long auburn hair, and the way they held themselves up. The one on the left appeared to be younger, closer to my age, while her sister, who stood front and center, looked to be about 17, maybe 18. A Yanma floated above their heads while a Grovyle leaned against a nearby tree, watching me, reminding me of Sceptile. A Dewpider scuttled onto the younger sister's shoulder, showing me that this island truly had a wide variety of Pokemon.

"Uh, Bavi?" I said uncertainly as I walked up to them.

The lead girl snorted and the boy snapped back to reality.

"Stop trying to act like you're one of us," she said snarkily.

I was so put back I actually took a step back. Reality check for me. Not everyone wanted me here.

"Sorry?" I said.

"You heard me," she stalked up to me and poked a finger into my chest. "You're not welcomed here outsider."

She turned and headed off into the jungle outside of Venusaur's Heart. "Now c'mon. We're wasting daylight."

The Grovyle got up where it was leaning and headed after her. The boy gave me a shrug and walked after her.

The other girl gave me apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. She gets a bit touchy about outsiders."

"Why?" I asked, then realized I had a better question. "And outsiders? Plural?"

Her eyes widened and she looked around fearfully. Even after realizing there was no one else, she still looked spooked. "Just come on. Forget I said anything."

Yeah, forgetting was not an option at this point. I followed them into the jungle and out of Venusaur's Heart. The change in plant life was apparent. The regular jungle felt a bit less humid and thicker with undergrowth. I guess the tribes folk maintained the Heart by clearing most undergrowth.

I walked next to the girl who actually apologized to me. "So, what's your name?"

She smiled. "Cera. My sister over there is Xera."

The boy smiled back at me. "And I'm Vendrick. Most people call me Ven."

"So even these people call themselves by nicknames," I thought, then said aloud, "And my name is Liam. Nice to meet you all."

Xera glared back at me before walking further ahead.

I sighed, then turned to Cera. "So do you guys usually do border patrol?"

She shook her head. "Not always. I think we're doing it this time so you can be with people of your own age."

Ven looked back again. "How old are you anyway."

"16," I answered. "You two?"

"Same," Ven said while Cera replied, "15."

"Cool," I said, then looked at Xera's back. "What about her?"

"18," Cera said. "She's the oldest of us all, so naturally she gets to lead."

"How long until we reach the edge of the jungle," I asked.

Cera shrugged. "Depends on where the jungle ends to you. For us, it ends at the Branching River, but the jungle goes further than that."

I nodded in understanding. River's were a natural place to put borders. "So how long until we reach this Branching River?"

Cera looked at the sun through the leaves above. "I would say not until the sun has reached halfway past midday. Then we should be at the river by then."

"Neat," I said. "Do we rest then?"

I heard Xera snort. "Of course not. We'll be heading down the river. Once we reach the cliff, then we rest for the night. Of course, I expect you to drop before then."

I scowled. She sure was unpleasant. Suddenly, something landed on my head. I lifted my gaze to see Yanma staring down at me.

"Hi there," I said, reaching up and patting his head.

"Yanma!" he cried happily.

Ven smiled. "He's taken a liking to you."

Just then Dewpider crawled onto my shoulder and Cera giggled. "Dewpider has too."

"Say," I said, looking at the Bug type. "Where did you get him anyway. It doesn't seem like he's native to Venusaur's Heart."

Cera nodded. "He's not. I found him at the Branching River around a year ago injured. I healed him and he's stuck with me since."

She tickled Dewpider and his bubble vibrated. I assumed he was laughing.

"Do you guys have a map?" I asked minutes later. "For your border?"

Cera shook her head. "No. We did at one point, but we have no need of it. We head down the river, follow the cliff South, then head West back to the Heart. We never go West past the Heart nor South. They're what we call the Forbidden Lands."

Ven looked back at us. "Don't forget the Forbidden Village."

"Yes," Cera said, nodding. "The Forbidden Village lies between the Heart and our Eastern border along the cliff. The Elders say a spirit haunts it, killing anything that sets foot inside. It's taboo to enter, so even if you come out alive, you'll be banished, or worse."

My heart skipped a beat. Well, I had already broken the rules then. But the Elders already knew. Maybe they gave me leniency because I'm new here or something.

"What's wrong?" Cera asked, seeing my face.

"Oh, nothing," I said, my face slightly warm now. "Just, uh, sounded kind of scary."

"I'll bet," Ven said. "I kinda want to go, but banishment sounds tough."

Xera shot him a glare and he shrunk from her gaze.

After a while, my feet were definitely killing me. Plus the added weight of everything didn't help. Finally, we reached our first checkpoint before I started to really consider asking for a rest break.

We all stopped at what I assumed was the Branching River, though I half expected Xera to say something like, "Well, here's this river. The Branching River is another several miles that way."

Thankfully, she said nothing like that and instead went over to a clump of bushes twenty meters from the river. Ven went to help and together they pulled out a wooden boat, shaped like a canoe. They pulled it up to the rocky and grassy river bank and pushed it slightly into the water.

Looking at the river itself, I estimated it to be about 1/8 of a mile. I could see a pack of Bruxish swimming beneath the water out in the middle. I hoped they steered clear from us. I saw a couple Sharpedos break the surface of the water and I hoped they stayed away too.

On the other bank I could see more jungle, but it looked more marshy than over here.

Cera walked up next to me and pointed at the opposite bank. "Beyond this part of the river there's another two river that connect."

She then pointed down the river to the place where I could see the river divert down another path. "There it connects to the middle river. The three rivers then merge back into one and head into the ocean."

"Enough talk over there," Xera said as she and Ven climbed into the boat. "Hurry it up."

We ran to the boat and climbed in. It rocked, but the canoe shaped boat stayed upright. Xera pushed us from the bank of the river and we began to float downstream. I looked over the side of the boat and saw some Gorebyss swimming around majestically. Magikarps were swimming lazily around us at one point, before a pack of Sharpedos came and started ripping them into shreds. Several Bruxish came along and began to fight them for the food. I didn't look in the water after that.

Grovyle was giving me the stink eye from next to Xera before pointedly turning his head away. Yanma buzzed down on my head and stayed there contently. Dewpider was poking the water, but stopped after a Carvanha almost got him.

Settling into the quiet boat ride, I thought about what Cera had said about the Forbidden Lands. If no one was allowed to go beyond them, then I would never be able to fully explore the whole Island. I looked up at the setting sun and watched as the sky was bleached orange and red.

I wondered if it would be so bad to be stuck in the Heart and its surrounding area. It was safe and as far as I could tell, an easy place to just simply live.

I looked at Cera, who smiled at me. _"Plus, I think I made a new friend."_

The water rippled with the colors of the sunset as our boat drifted down the river.

**Honestly I don't really have much to say here this time. So, uh, Toodles**


	14. Chapter 13: The Empty Grave

I climbed out of the slightly rocking boat and looked up the river. "So how does the boat get back up there?"

"It flies," Ven said and I almost believed him before Cera said, "Stop trying to confuse him Ven."

She pointed into the river. "They'll pull the boat back up the river for us."

I looked at the water and saw several shapes moving near the boat. They emerged and I saw a Feraligatr and two Croconaws. They bared their fangs at us in what I guess was a smile before grabbing the boat and swimming upriver.

"Convenient," I remarked and Xera began walking.

"Come on," she said over her shoulder. "I want to make it to the cliff before we can rest for the night."

I was dead tired despite the boat ride. We followed Xera for about a quarter mile before we reached the cliff. Crashing below us was the ocean, but farther out I could see the heavens reflected in the water. Walking ten feet from the edge, I sat down my stuff in the grass, leaning against a rock. I sat down, exhausted.

"We get up bright and early," Xera said before laying down twenty feet away.

Sighing, I laid my head on the cool grass and drifted away to sleep.

...

I stood on the cliff again, stars twinkling above and below, the moon nowhere in sight. The cliff cracked beneath my feet, sending me into the crashing waves below. I plunged into the water, bubbles floating to the surface. Blinking, I tried to see past the bubbles.

I swam forwards, avoiding huge rocks jutting out of the ocean floor. Then I saw the shipwreck. It was the missing half of the _Seeker_. I floated around it, seaweed clinging to the steering wheel. Skeletons of humans and Pokemon floated around the wreck and I screamed, but no sound came out.

Water flooded my throat and I couldn't breathe. I was drowning. My eyes went wide as I clawed at my throat. I can't... I need... help...

Before darkness overtook me, I noticed huge dark shapes all around the shipwreck. When I could just make them out, darkness flooded my vision and I knew no more.

...

I was back on the secluded beach where I had washed up. I lay inside the shipwreck and I dusted off the sand. I climbed out and squinted at the bright sunlight.

"Hey bro."

I whirled around to see Ryan leaning against the palm tree where I had buried him, the grave intact.

"What?" my eyes were wide. "How?"

He cracked a smile. "I ain't alive. You know that full well. Don't get your hopes up."

My smile faded, but I couldn't seem to cry. "Where are we?"

He looked around. "I'd say a beach."

I was able to give him a look and he laughed. "Alright alright. A beach in your head."

He shook his head and walked up to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Look Liam. I'm dead, but you're not. So survive."

"I know," I said, now feeling tears welling up in my eyes. "I've been trying."

I wiped my eyes. "I think I'm able to do that now. I'm with the Jungle Tribe. They'll let me live as one of them."

Ryan's eyes darkened. "Don't trust them."

The dream was fading, but Ryan gave me one last thing. "Nothing is as it seems."

Then I was next to his grave. An empty grave. Suddenly, the dream vanished and I was plunged into darkness.

...

I sat straight upright, panting, my body coated in sweat. The only thing I could think about was his grave. His empty grave!

"Nothing is at it seems."

I bolted to my feet and took off to the South, following the cliff line. I heard Xera yell something at me from behind, but I didn't make out what she said. I didn't get very far however.

I felt the ground beneath my shake and vines burst from the ground, tripping me. I crashed hard and I rubbed my chin.

Xera hauled me up. "What is your problem!?"

My mind was still racing. "Ryan... Need to... Grave..."

Xera sighed and slapped me in the face, knocking some sense into me.

"Better?" she asked, then dropped me to the ground, her Grovyle behind me.

I blinked once, twice.

"Sorry," I said, shaking my head. "I just..."

I didn't know how to explain it without it sounding too weird.

"It was just a dream," I said, my face going red. "Just a dream."

Xera huffed, looking like she didn't believe me, but Cera walked up with my stuff. "You okay?"

I nodded and grabbed my stuff out of her hands. "Sorry for scaring you guys."

Xera glared at me. "Next time this happens, I'm taking you down with an arrow."

As she stalked to go grab her own stuff, I had a feeling that wasn't an idle threat.

"Okay then," Ven said, coming up to stand next to Cera and I. "We have another day's walk ahead of us, then we head back to the Heart. Simple, right?"

I agreed with him, but I knew my feet were going to be sore. When Xera took the lead, we followed from behind, sticking close to the edge of the cliff, but not too close. I used my spear as a walking stick, point facing up.

Around what I assumed was evening I was able to see a cove, the cliff pushed inwards. Down below was the beach I had washed up on. From up here the shipwreck looked tiny and even smaller the lone palm tree. I tried not to look at my brother's grave, but I couldn't help myself.

"What's wrong?" Cera looked back at me because I had suddenly stopped. I felt my face go pale and I felt sick. I was so still Yanma came to stand on my head. I had to get down there. But how. How?

I looked up at Yanma. "Could you support me?"

He looked at me curiously for a second before nodding. He floated down and before Cera could utter a word, I swung myself onto the Bug type's back.

"What in _Disec_ are you doing!?" Xera screeched, but I had Yanma zooming us down to the beach below us before she could grab me. We flew down so fast Yanma was barely able to pull up in time. Close to the ground, I flung myself off of the Bug and rolled a couple feet in the sand, landing halfway in the water.

Ignoring the wetness, I scrambled to my feet and ran, kicking up sand as I did. I was breathing hard, but not from exhaustion. Before I could reach the Palm Tree, I heard rocks cracking from above. I looked up at the cliff and saw a huge vine jutting from the top down to the beach. I ignored the three figure sliding down the vine as I continued to run, before falling to my knees next to the grave. The empty grave.

I just stared down into the empty hole, clumps of sand scattered around me like they had been blasted aside from the ground. The wood plank I had used as a grave marker had been tossed to the side, broken in three.

"It can't be," I said in a hoarse voice. "It can't be."

I was still staring at the hole in shock when Xera, Cera, Ven, and the Pokemon came up to me. A couple Krabbys came over to investigate, but Yanma sent them tumbling away in a gust of wind.

"What is this?" Cera asked curiously while Xera took a more direct approach and hauled me up to my feet. "What is this!?"

I was still staring blankly at the hole and she had to shake me again, harder. "I asked you a question_ outsider_!"

I looked at her and her eyes widened, probably in surprise by my pale face. "My brother."

I looked back at the hole. "He died."

"Oh," Xera said in a small voice and dropped me. I went back to staring at the empty grave, feeling as if something had been ripped from my chest. I had no doubt that my brother was dead, but why was his body gone?

Cera kneeled next to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "What happened to him?"

"He," I choked on my next words. I hadn't old anyone this, though that could be chalked up to not having anyone to talk to for a while. "He was dying. So... he shot himself."

I gripped my hands in the sand. "I buried him. Right here! Where is he!?"

They didn't seem to have an answer, but I saw Ven looking curiously at something next to the tree. He walked over to it and picked something up.

He handed it to me. "Hey, look at this."

I took it and studied the leaf. It was small and slightly oval in shape. I touched the edge and was surprised to find that it was razor sharp. Whipping back my finger, I checked to make sure I hadn't cut myself. Seeing no blood, just slightly broken skin, I looked back down at the leaf.

"Razor Leaf," I muttered and Ven gave me a weird look. "Razor Leaf?"

That's right. They wouldn't know about Pokemon moves would they. They probably didn't give Pokemon moves a second thought.

"Sharp leaves," I said, trying hard to focus on it instead of the grave. "Some Grass, or well, jungle Pokemon can throw sharp leaves."

They nodded and I kept staring at the leaf, trying to think. Why would a Razor Leaf be here? Did a Pokemon uncover Ryan?

I looked back at the beach. Just like before there were the Kinglers and Krabbys and even the three Crabrawlers. None of them as far as I knew could use Razor Leaf. But a Pokemon definitely did this. I was sure of it.

The truth hit me so hard, I toppled sideways. If Cera hadn't caught me I would have fallen into the grave.

"No," I whispered, not moving. "It couldn't be."

"What?" Xera said impatiently, obviously not happy at not knowing what I was talking about.

"It," I began, but I couldn't bring myself to say it. The only person who was able to do this, who probably even knew where this place would be. They must've told him. But why him? He had been so nice. But it still didn't make sense why he would do this. It couldn't be him, but I knew it had been him.

"Eric," I said in a small voice. "It was Eric. Him and his Shiftry."

Silence, then,

"Are you accusing one of the Tribe's members of stealing dead bodies!?" Xera asked angrily, getting in my face.

"The Elders gave him a mission," I said, ignoring her. "Yesterday morning. He said he was going to check out, something I had encountered before. But I think they sent him here."

I felt energy rush through me and I felt replenished. I could feel rage building up inside me, but I tried to contain it. "I don't know why or what for, but I know it was him and his Shiftry. I'm sure of it!"

Ven put a hand on Xera's shoulder. "You know, he might be right. No one else comes out this far. Even we don't come out here really."

Xera shot him a warning glance, but his words fitted another puzzle piece.

"That makes sense," I said, more to myself than them. "The Elders should've been wary of me coming over here and witnessing this, but since they think you three don't come this close to the cliff, they wouldn't have to worry about Eric being seen nor the grave."

Suddenly, Cera yelped and we all turned. She was staring at the cliff face where the crack had been where I had slipped into days ago. There, in the mouth of the small entrance, was a girl. She looked to be 16, like me, and was covered in dust, bruises, and small cuts. Her faded brown colored leather clothes were slightly ripped and her waist length white hair was covered in dust as it hung down her back, bangs in her face. She took a huge gulp of air before collapsing onto the sand.

**You know, making all these plot twists is fun, but having you guys read them is even better. Oh and we're almost halfway done here. This book will only be 30 chapters long, but I'll still manage to fit a whole lot in here. Till next update. Toodles**


	15. Chapter 14: An Unwelcomed Guest

We all stared in shock at the newest arrival. Finally, when I decided to go and see if she was alright, Xera held out her hand. "Don't."

She crept close to the girl, keeping an eye on the hole in the cliff wall. After deciding it was safe, she knelt next to the girl. She turned her over and instantly recoiled.

"What?" Ven asked coming closer, then sucked in a deep breath. Cera and I came over as well, empty grave and Eric forgotten.

The white haired girl's bangs had slid to the side of her face, revealing a tattoo of sorts of her forehead. It didn't looked etched in nor burned, more like just imprinted. I knelt next to her and stared at the curved moon symbol. It had a faint shine to it, which was shocking on its own.

"Is she..." Cera didn't finish, but Xera nodded, getting to her feet. "Yeah, she is."

"Who is she?" I asked, then looked at her wounds. None were serious, then I noticed a cut on her forehead.

"Look at this," I said, pointing at the wound. "I think she needs medical help."

"No," Xera said simply, turning away.

I stood. "And why not? She's injured."

Xera whirled to face me, anger burning in her eyes. I winced, but surprisingly I kept my ground.

"She's lucky I'm leaving her here," Xera said, trying to maintain her fury. "I have half a mind to kill her here and now."

"Xera," Cera said cautiously. "Now isn't a-"

She broke off after her sister gave her a harsh glare, then turned back to me. "This girl is the Jungle Tribe's enemy. A demon worshiper, her and her whole tribe."

"That's no excuse to just kill her or just leave her to die," I said, still surprised I wasn't backing down.

Xera looked about ready to throttle me when Cera cut back in. "Hey, how about we put it to a vote. All for bringing her back for Meda to heal?"

I raised my hand, trying to ignore the hateful glare coming from Xera. Cera raised her hand as well and Ven looked torn for a moment, before raising his hand. Xera glared at the lot of us and turned to stalk back to the huge vine, Grovyle right behind her.

"Fine then," she said as she walked away. "But you three can carry her."

As she left, a Pokemon erupted from the sand. It was a Nidoqueen. She eyes us warily before scooping up the white haired girl. I looked at Cera and Ven and they just shrugged. Nidoqueen huffed at us and appeared to be waiting.

"I guess that's her Pokemon," I said, getting to my feet. I walked back over to the grave and picked up my spear. I wouldn't forget about the grave.

I tightened my grip on my spear. I would get the answer from Eric, no matter what.

"Come on," Cera called back to me and I nodded. I jogged to catch up to them and walked alongside the Nidoqueen. I studied the girl in her arms. She was quite pretty, even with being all bruised up. Her face was a little strained from what I assumed was from the pain.

I reached out my hand to brush away her bangs to get a better look at her head wound, but the Nidoqueen. I retracted my hand quickly, but said, "Hey, I'm just trying to look at the wound."

By now we had started to climb up the huge thick vine that led up to the top of the cliff. The vine itself was easy to walk up, but I was still too scared to look over the side, so I was trying to distract myself by also checking on the girl.

Nidoqueen glared at me before giving me a small nod. I reached out my hand again, Nidoqueen still glaring, and brushed away her bangs. Her wound wasn't that big, just a couple centimeter cut, but I heard that head wounds tended to be worse than they looked. I also noticed the curved moon symbol and I traced it with my finger.

"Will she be okay?" I asked the Nidoqueen, but if the Pokemon knew anything, she didn't say.

Once we got to the top of the cliff where Xera and Grovyle were waiting, she didn't comment on the Nidoqueen, but I could tell she was dying to scream. She really needed to be more flexible, but I had a feeling if I said that, she would punch me in the face. I didn't want to get punched.

I had thought Xera would lead us further down the cliff to finish the border patrol, but instead she went straight into the jungle. Walking faster to walk next to Cera and Ven, I asked, "Doesn't she know this leads directly to the Forbidden Village."

Ven nodded. "Don't worry. We'll make a wide berth around it. If a patrol needs to get back to the Heart as fast as they can, this is the route they take if near here."

I nodded in understanding. Made sense. However, I didn't like the fact we would still be close to that cursed place. As we were about to enter the jungle once more, I noticed it looked particularly dark inside. I looked up and noticed the sky was darkening.

"Hey," I called up to Xera who was already feet into the jungle. "Shouldn't we rest for the night."

Xera ignored me and kept walking. Cera looked at me and shrugged. Sighing, I continued walking, exhaustion sweeping over me. I looked back at the white haired girl and wished I had a Pokemon that would carry me.

Yanma buzzed as he landed on my head, like he was offering. I reached up to pet his head. "Nah, that would cause too much strain. Thanks though."

Yanma buzzed happily and appeared to be content right there. He didn't really add that much weight, so I kept going. After a while of treading through the dark forest, it was almost pitch black except for the small light from the moon. I nearly tripped several times, but Yanma buzzed his wings to keep our balance. I was liking this Pokemon very much. Finally, I nearly ran into Xera, who had stopped, but Yanma buzzed his wings hard so that I moved back a step.

Xera glared back at me, which I could barely see in the darkness. "We rest here."

With that, she walked over to Ven. I moved to where Nidoqueen was and found Cera there, applying some leaves to the white haired girl's head.

"What are you doing?" I asked, sitting next to her.

She smiled as she moved on to the girl's arms. "Healing herbs that fight infection. It's the only plant I was able to find out here that Meda had shown me."

"Are you her apprentice?" I asked curiously.

Cera shook her head. "No. But I'm trying. I think Meda is going to ask the Elders soon."

I nodded in approval. "That's good."

Ven tapped me on the shoulder. "Hey, come with me. Xera wants us to find food."

I made to stand, but Ven held up a hand. "Lose the bow and arrows. I have a feeling you'll do poorly in the dark with those. Your spear should be find though."

I nodded and pulled off my stuff. Taking a swig of water from the water flask, I hefted my spear and followed Ven into the dark jungle, Yanma flying off my head to stay with Cera and Dewpider.

"What's Xera doing?" I asked.

"Gathering firewood," he replied, brushing past some ferns. "Hey, see anything move and stab it. It'll most likely be good food."

I grimaced. I didn't really like killing Pokemon, but I knew I would have to get used to it. Kinda like that Ursaring. Speaking of which,

"Hey," I said, pointing up ahead. "I think I recognize this place."

I took the lead, bursting through some bushes and found myself back in the ruins where I had killed the Ursaring. The small building where the big Pokemon had crashed through was on the far end of the ruins. I could still see the furry body since more light shone down with fewer trees here in the clearing, but now there were more bones, picked clean by who knows what.

Ven came up behind me and sucked in a breath. "Woah. Is this a ruin."

I nodded. "I found this place before. I had to kill that Ursaring over there."

I pointed and Ven went wide-eyed. "You killed it!? By yourself!?"

I nodded, my face red. I didn't mention the gun.

Ven whistled and clapped me on the back. "Nice job man, but I don't think we should be here."

"Why?" I asked.

"Taboo," he responded.

"Isn't it too late anyway?" I asked. "I mean, we already entered."

Ven nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Still, best to just stay on the perimeter and look for food that way."

I nodded and we went in opposite directions. I was seriously hoping I wouldn't run into a Pokemon. With my luck it would be another Ursaring and this time I wouldn't have a gun to kill it with. Luckily, I found a small stream, just deep enough for Magikarps to be able to swim in. I peered in, hoping to see some, but instead found some Feebas.

Some people would scoff at the idea of eating a Feebas, saying they'd likely taste horrible, but I've had the pleasure of actually eating some before and they were pretty good. I lifted my spear and brought the metal pike down, missing the Feebas. I tried several more times before spearing two in a row.

I lifted it and looked at my catch. "Huh. I guess I can get lucky."

Yeah, I had a feeling that luck would run out soon enough. It tended to do that.

I found Ven and showed him my catch. He smiled while slinging his bow back on his back. "Good job. I couldn't find anything. Weird. I think they're all hiding tonight."

We headed back in the direction where we had left Cera and the others. We could see the faint glow of a campfire in the distance, so we ran through the bushes to get there. Xera was tending to the flames while Cera sat next to the white haired girl, checking her breathing.

With the firelight, I could tell the Feebas were much bigger than normal Feebas, but still, Xera didn't say a word as she took them from me. She went to gutting them while I went and joined Cera and Nidoqueen. The large Pokemon eyed me warily, but allowed me to stay.

I looked at the moon symbol on the girl's head again, which glowed like moonlight faintly, before asking Cera, "So what's the deal with Xera wanting to leave her to die?"

Cera hesitated, before saying, "It's in bad taste to talk about it. Plus, it's not a very good story."

"Yeah, I figured you Jungle Tribe people were soft."

We swung our heads around to stare at the white haired girl, whose eyes were open, revealing them to be a startling golden color.

Cera went to feel her head, but she sat up and swiped her hand away. Cera looked taken aback, but asked, "How are you feeling?"

She grunted and felt her forehead, looking at the greenish paste now on her fingers. "Fine."

I noted a slightly rough accent to her English. Sure the people in the Heart had an accent, but it wasn't as apparent as hers.

Xera looked up from where she was cooking the food, but didn't bother to come over, but Ven did.

The girl smiled, which looked kind of wicked in the firelight, and stared at me. "So I take it you don't know the history of the Tribes?"

"Tribes?" I asked. "As in plural?"

She raised an eyebrow at Cera and Ven. "Wow, you guys didn't tell him anything I see."

"Who are you?" I asked.

She looked back at me. "Luna, daughter of the Chief of the Moonlit Tribe."

One more chapter then we'll be halfway. Till then. Toodles


	16. Chapter 15: Luna's Tale

Luna leaned back against her Nidoqueen, arms folded across her chest. "Now, shall I begin."

Xera stood up, food forgotten. "Wait just one second! If you think we're going to let you speak about the forbidden times-"

Luna snorted. "Oh please. It's forbidden for the Jungle Tribe, but for the Moonlit Tribe, we learn our history, no matter how painful it may be."

"Besides," she said, looking at me. "It's his choice whether I speak now."

They all looked at me and I turned red. I knew that hearing her words would be taboo and would most definitely get me into trouble if the Elders heard about this, but I needed answers, damned be the consequences.

I met Luna's gaze. "Tell me."

Xera growled in frustration, then went back to the food.

Luna smiled happily. "Good. Now, what's your name."

I hesitated, then realized I already cast my vote to trusting her, so I said, "Liam, Liam Walsh."

"Liam," she repeated. "How'd you end up here on this island?"

I was wondering why I was the one telling her stuff, but I decided it would be best to go along with it. "I washed ashore after my boat hit a storm."

Luna nodded. "I thought as much. Okay then Liam, I'm about to share the history of the Tribes with you. A history the Jungle Tribe wants to forget."

"There were five tribes on this island," she began. "The Jungle Tribe, which you have decided to live with, and my tribe, the Moonlit Tribe are bitter rivals."

She cast a smile at Cera and Ven. "We never get along."

Turning back to me, she continued. "There's also the Savage Tribe of the North. It's best not to deal with them. Then there's the Mountain Tribe, which live in the cluster of Mountains in the middle of the island."

I had to think for a second before I realized what was missing. "What about the fifth Tribe?"

"Ah," Luna held up a finger. "I said there _were _five tribes. The fifth tribe used to live near the volcano in the West, a more primitive and savage tribe, not unlike the Savage Tribe of the North. But an eruption long ago wiped out that village, but also created what you know as Venusaur's Heart."

The eruption she mentioned fit well with what Meda had told me, but I had no idea there was a village in that tale.

"Long, long ago," she continued. "The tribes held respect for one another and the island was in peace. However, minor skirmishes turned into hate and spite. The Tribes began an island wide war against each other, upsetting the gods."

The fire crackled behind me, the cooking food smelling delicious, but I was too enraptured by the tale to care.

"The god of the jungle," Luna said. "The god of fire, and the god of water. They each represent the three corners of the island and went on a rampage due to the war."

I heard Cera and Ven shift and I could see in the firelight that they disagreed with Luna.

Ignoring them, Luna went on. "Their destructive power was so great that the Tribes ceased all conflict and retreated back to their homelands. But an even greater force of destruction awoke from its slumber from beneath the Central Mountains. The three gods fought to repel this demonic force, resulting in even more destruction. Once it was contained once more by a sacred ritual preformed by the Spirit Guides of each Tribe, the gods calmed. They tried to restore peace to the island, rebuilding it."

She gestured to Cera and Ven. "Your Tribe, your territory was rebuilt by Venusaur into what you now call Venusaur's Heart. The West terrain is still a dead area as well as the Tribe that resides there in an ashen slumber. The Tribes stayed in their homelands and peace washed in once more."

"That is," Luna said, her voice gaining a darker tone. "Until just ten years ago, when something else washed onto the island."

She stared directly at me now. "Ten years ago, much like you, people washed ashore. They were people who had been separated from the outside world. The Tribes were curious and welcomed them. The outsiders slowly gained our complete trust, until one day, the rest of their friends came within sight of island. In ships of death. They came ashore and took many prisoners. They wanted this island for their own gain and the ones we trusted betrayed us like it was nothing. This one time, the Tribes united against them, and with the help from the god of Fire and god of Water, they were defeated. Some escaped, but they knew to never come back."

Luna shuddered. "Those were terrible days."

Cera and Ven looked equally disturbed and I realized why. Luna had said ten years ago. Everyone around me had witnessed, no, experienced this tale.

Xera came over and handed us sticks with cooked meat on them, even to Luna. We ate in silence and I could feel Luna's gaze on me. She was studying me, as if interested in my presence.

Eventually, I asked, "Why is this information forbidden in the Jungle Tribe."

Luna was about to speak, but Xera cut her off. "It's taboo because it's a past best left forgotten. A piece of history so horrible that knowing it could spark old wounds. Because the Tribes didn't fully cooperate ten years ago. One of them, the Moonlit Tribe, sided with the outsiders."

Luna glared at her. "Doesn't mean we got it any easier."

"You and your tribe are still filthy traitors," Xera snarled.

Luna sighed. "I don't deny it. But we regret that decision. We have tried to make peace."

Xera snorted. "There will never be peace between our tribes."

While they argued, I began to fit more pieces inside my head. People had discovered the island before Ryan and I had. That explained the more modern ruin I had found with the rifle. This also explained why Xera hated me so much because I was an outsider. Settling everything in my head as best I could, I found that I needed to ask Luna something.

"Hey," I said, and both Xera and Luna looked at me. "Why were you in the tunnels, then the beach."

"It's obvious," Luna replied. "I was looking for you."

"Me?" I said in disbelief.

She nodded. "I saw the storm from my Tribe's home. It reflected a line from the prophecy, so I knew something would happen. I set off to find out for myself, but I encountered trouble in the tunnels. Some person and his Pokemon had tried to kill me. Sharp leaves those were."

I felt myself go pale and Cera whispered, "Eric."

Luna whipped her head to look at her and narrowed her eyes. "Who's Eric?"

Nobody looked like they wanted to talk, so I explained who he was. Then I explained my suspicions and Luna nodded.

"Makes sense," she said. "In a twisted sort of way."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She looked at me curiously, then said, "The Elders knew where your brother was buried from your mind and had Eric find it. They probably don't want any evidence of the outsiders being here, so Eric probably was getting rid of the body entirely."

"What does that mean for me?" I asked quietly.

Luna sighed. "The Elders probably are biding their time, trying to figure out a good way to dispose of you."

"Not true," Cera said. "They would never-"

"Go to any lengths to keep outsiders away permanently and erase all history of them?" Luna asked, an eyebrow raised. "I think they would."

Cera looked like she wanted to object, but Xera and Ven looked like they agreed with Luna.

I leaned back, grimacing. I knew the idea of becoming a part of the Jungle Tribe had been too good to be true. I had only one thing once more to abide by. Survive. Looking at Luna, I had a feeling she was the only one who could help me now.

She nodded at me, as if knowing what I was thinking. "I think you finally realized the situation you're in. In fact..."

She turned to gaze at Xera. "She was probably tasked to find a way to kill you on this "patrol". It's the only logical way to get rid of you."

I paled as Xera took a step forwards to face Luna, who got up to meet her. "Keep dreaming Moonlighter. I have no orders to kill him. But I have a duty to kill you here and now."

While they glared at each other, I shifted back a couple feet, closer to the fire. I did not want to be near them if they started to duke it out. Suddenly, I felt a chilling sensation and goosebumps spread along my body. Something...

I felt something begin to enter its way into the side of my neck, blood being drawn out as if in slow motion. Then the object was pulled out and something close to a fierce wind knocked me aside. I landed next to the fire and I hurried to scramble away before I burned myself, right hand pressed against the left side of my neck. It felt warm, but I could tell it was really only a scratch.

I saw Nidoqueen standing near where I had been and I had no idea how she got there that fast. Then again, I stopped paying attention to her when Luna had stood up. At first I thought the Pokemon was the one who had tried to stab me, then I saw Cera slumped against the side of a tree, a my knife in her hand, a bit of blood still on the tip of the blade.

My mouth had gone dry. "Wha- wha-"

I heard Luna grunt and saw her toss Ven off of her. He landed next to Cera where he groaned. Xera just stood there shocked. Despite how quickly everything was going, I guessed Ven had attacked Luna at the same time as Cera who was attacking me.

"But-" I breathed again and Luna went to stand next to Nidoqueen and the two stood over Cera and Ven.

"I had a feeling you two were the ones who were told to kill Liam," she said. "Xera was too straightforward with her feelings."

Cera groaned. "She was supposed to take the blame dammit. You weren't part of this equation at all.

Xera took a step backwards, eyes wide in shock.

Luna grinned. "Yeah, that equation went real well didn't it."

"But," Xera choked. "Why?"

"He's an outsider," Cera growled. "Don't you want him dead as well!?"

This sudden change in attitude in Cera shocked me and I have to admit, frightened me as well. Yanma settled on my head, wings vibrating, as if ready to protect me. Dewpider scuttled away from Cera and went to stand next to Xera and Grovyle.

Xera swallowed. "No, I mean yes. He is an outsider, but that doesn't mean he needs to die. He hasn't even done anything to us."

Ven glared at her. "But you still hated him right away didn't you? Help us kill him. The Elders demand his death."

Xera looked to shocked to move, so Luna spoke. "Listen Xera. We may be of different tribes, but listen to me. They were planning to kill Liam and have you take the blame for it. Don't listen to them."

Ven made a move to stand, but Nidoqueen stomped her foot on the ground, knocking him off balance.

Luna turned to me. "Look, we need to get out of here."

"Why?" I asked as she pulled me to my feet.

"Because," she said, dusting me off. "My tribe doesn't know I'm here. They're going to assume I was taken captive by the Jungle Tribe and they're going to come prepared to kill. A perfect distraction."

"Hold on," Xera said. "You knew they were coming?"

"I assume they will," Luna replied. "Now, you have a choice Xera. Come with us or go back with your friends to a tribe that'll likely still find a way to get rid of you. If they were willing to once, who's to say they won't finish the job now that you know what they were planning to do."

Xera's green eyes were conflicted, but then said, "They're are still good people in my tribe. They don't deserve to die."

Luna groaned. "Look, I'm sure my Tribe will get repelled and not many will die."

"No," I said and they both looked at me in surprise. "Some don't deserve it."

I didn't really know anyone in the Tribe and the one's I did betrayed me, except for one. Hopefully one. Meda. She was kind to me. She had healed me.

I turned to Luna. "We have to stop your tribe."

"Dammit," she cursed under her breath. "You're not going to come with me no matter what I say?"

I nodded and she tightened her mouth and punched a nearby tree. "I would have Nidoqueen just carry you, but I need you to trust me."

She turned her head to glare at me, fist still on the tree. "Fine, have it your way. We'll go back, stop my tribe, then get out before anyone can stop us."

She then glared at Xera. "And you can decide who you're better off with as well."

She nodded at Nidoqueen, who picked up both Cera and Ven, who were both struggling and yelling curses.

"We better hurry," Luna said, setting off into the night. "We only have two days at best to get back there."

I had been exhausted before, but recent events got adrenaline pumping through me, so I followed behind her and Nidoqueen, Xera behind me. I had no idea if what I was doing was the right choice, but I remembered that motherly kiss Meda had given me. That had to mean something, right?

**And things are kicking off with these sudden turn of events. I hope ya'll are enjoying reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. Till next time. Toodles**


	17. Chapter 16: Battle Under the Moon Pt 1

After a while of running in the dark, I had to rest. I came to a stop and slid down, my back against a tree. Luna noticed I had stopped and sighed.

"Fine," she said, stopping as well. "We'll rest here tonight. Nidoqueen, guard the prisoners."

Nidoqueen nodded and tossed Cera and Ven on the ground.

Luna kneeled next to me and I looked at her with drooping eyes, sleep wanting to come. "We leave at dawn, so you better be ready."

I nodded wearily and leaned my head back and drifted away.

...

_I was running along the cliff again. My eyes were looking desperately over the side, trying to find the beach. Then, it appeared before my eyes. I slowed to a stop and watched as someone walked from the cliff edge to the lone palm tree alongside a Pokemon. Eric and Shiftry._

_Eric kneeled next to the grave and spoke to Shiftry. Standing back, Eric nodded. Shiftry blasted the hole with Razor Leaf and in no time my brother's body was uncovered, sand sticking to his clothes and skin. I couldn't see the head wound, but I knew it was there by the dried blood on his face and hair._

_I pounded the cliff side in a silent scream, rage building up inside me. How dare he defile my brother's grave! _

_I watched, unable to do anything as Eric hauled my brother's body up on his shoulder and walked back to the cliff face and into the caves, Shiftry taking time to fling some leaves at a Kingler before following._

_I screamed and screamed, but nothing was coming out. I pounded the ground over and over, then the earth cracked. It broke into dust and I was falling. I fell through darkness before landing in the tunnels. I laid there, breathing hard. I moved my arm and felt it dangle over nothingness. I turned my head and found myself staring into the endless chasm I had seen before._

_I saw Eric emerge from a tunnel, Shiftry by his side. He held Ryan's body in front of him and spoke to him, but I could only see his lips move silently. Then, Eric tossed his body into the chasm and I watched in horrified silence as his body disappeared into the darkness._

_Finally, I heard Eric speak. "Now fall for all eternity in the Endless Chasm."_

...

I jolted awake, the first rays of sunlight hitting me in the face. I blinked away sleep and got to my feet. Luna was already up, cooking meat on a fire. Yanma buzzed above me and I smiled at him.

Luna glanced up at me. "Good, your up."

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Food," she said. "What does it look like?"

I shrugged and sat on the opposite side of the fire.

Luna picked up the stick she was cooking the food on and said, "Get Xera up. We eat on our feet."

I went over to Xera and was deciding if it was better to tell her to get up or nudge her awake when her eyes popped open. She glared at me and I backed off. Grovyle stepped away from the tree he had been resting at, Dewpider following him.

"Food's ready," I said meekly. I had no idea what Xera thought of me now. Sure she must hate me for being an outsider, but not enough to kill me like Cera and Ven were going to do. Luna handed both of us a piece of cooked meat and we were on our way. Cera and Ven didn't struggle as Nidoqueen carried them, just silently glared at us.

Luna looked back at Xera as we moved quickly through the jungle. "You're more familiar with this place. How much farther?"

Xera closed her eyes, then nodded. "The river's up ahead."

I strained my ears and found that I could hear the river as well. We burst from the treeline not long later and found ourselves at the river I had crossed before, where Bulbasaur and I had been attacked by Huntails.

"Don't tell me we're going to swim it," I said.

Luna looked at me. "Have a better idea?"

"No," I admitted. "But there are some nasty Huntails in there."

Luna pondered for a moment before staring at Yanma. "Can he carry people?"

Xera frowned. "Only one at a time, but not for very long."

"It'll have to do," Luna said. "Yanma, I'm going to need you to carry us over this river. Can you do that for us?"

Yanma buzzed his wings, up for the challenge.

Luna nodded and smiled. "Good. Liam, you're up first. Keep a tight hold on your gear."

I nodded, deciding it was best not to go against this plan. I climbed on top of Yanma and he flew us over the river. He dropped me off on the other side and flew back to pick up the others. Xera was next to be flown over, then Yanma flew back to pick up Luna. Once they had started over the river, that's when Cera and Ven acted. They managed to break free and ran back into the jungle, Nidoqueen roaring after them.

She was about to give chase when Luna yelled, "Stop!"

Nidoqueen reluctantly stopped and Luna went on. "Find a shallower point of the river to cross upstream. Meet us at Venusaur's Heart."

Nidoqueen nodded and began walking upstream and Yanma and Luna finished their journey across. Yanma was shaking by that point and I patted my head.

"You can rest here," I offered and Yanma sat on my head, his wings drooping past the sides of my head.

"We're not going to wait for Nidoqueen?" I wanted to confirm with Luna.

She nodded. "She'll meet us there in no time, don't worry. Now, Xera, how long?"

"We'll need to make a wide birth around the Forbidden Village," she began, but Luna cut in. "Why go around. Forget your stupid Tribe rules. It'll be quicker to go right through it."

"No," I said, remembering that creature that had tried to kill me in there. "Much better to go around, trust me."

Luna studied my face and decided to trust me. "Fine then. If we follow your path, how long?"

"We'll be there by nightfall," she said. "Maybe when the moon is fully risen."

"Damn," Luna cursed. "We'll be cutting it a bit close."

She took off at a run. "We have to hurry then. Come on!"

We ran through the jungle, Yanma clinging to my head to avoid being thrown off. Dewpider clung to Xera's back while Grovyle followed us from the branches of trees. Luna ran ahead of us, her long legs suited to running. She didn't even seem to tire, because after a while I was dying. Xera only looked mildly exhausted. Eventually, I couldn't go on any further.

I collapsed on the ground, wiped. Xera slowed and after going another ten feet, Luna realized we were no longer following her. She sighed and trudged back.

She took a look at me. "I guess it can't be helped."

I grabbed my water flask and drank the warm water greedily. After guzzling for a couple seconds, I sank my head back, trying to wipe the sweat off my face.

"Hurry it up will you," Luna said impatiently.

"I'm," I ended with a cough. "I'm not as fit as you two alright. Give me a minute."

I guzzled some more water and wiped my mouth dry. "Okay, I'm ready, but I won't be able to go fast."

"Fine," Luna said. "I expected as much."

We walked for a while after that and the day seemed to be passing by quicker than before. Soon, the sun was bleaching the sky red and orange as it set. Xera seemed to release some of the tension she had been holding throughout the day and gave a sigh of relief.

"We're close to the Heart now," she said.

Luna studied the area quickly as we stopped. "I don't see any signs of fighting. My Tribe will likely wait until nightfall. We best do the same."

"But," I said. "What about the people that might die?"

Luna gave me a sharp look. "If we go in there now, all that's gonna happen is us being taken prisoner, or worse."

"I hate to agree with her," Xera said regrettably. "But she's right. We need to wait and hide. There might still be patrols."

Not even a second later a buzzing sound passed us overhead above the treetops. Yanma's wings buzzed lazily, but he didn't try to fly.

"That's them now," Xera said. "Yanmega patrols are often in the area around the Heart."

"Paranoid aren't they," Luna said. "Your Elders."

She motioned for us to follow her. "Come on. We need to hide."

We walked only a little bit further until we came to a particularly lush tree. Luna began climbing it and Xera followed suit. Deciding it was better than being on the ground, I stuck my spear into the dirt.

"Hold on," I told Yanma, who buzzed his wings in response.

I climbed onto the lowest branch and sat there, Yanma buzzing to lay in front of me on it. I looked up to see Luna on the branch above me. She lounged on the branch, eyes closed, her white hair flowing down past her.

Farther up Xera sat, eyes wide open. She was staring in the direction of the Heart, longing in them, but also... sorrow? I felt bad for her. Her Tribe, her home, her family, had betrayed her. I wondered what could possibly be going through her head right now.

Grovyle sat on the highest branch along with Dewpider, keeping watch. The thick leaves above protected us from an aerial view and we were high enough not to be noticed from below, unless we were being looked for that is.

"Get some rest you two," Luna said, her eyes still closed. "You'll need it."

I tried, I did, but anxiety welled up inside me as the forest got darker. I knew what was coming. A battle. People would die. Blood, lots of it.

I shook my head hard. _"No, don't think about that. We'll stop them before that happens."_

Still, I couldn't help but think of Meda. She was the only true nice person I had met there. She wouldn't betray me. But, it couldn't just be her. There had to be others who would have been nice, understanding. That's why I wanted to come back here. For them.

_"Plus,"_ I thought, looking back up at Xera, eyes full of worry. _"Despite her dislike towards me, I feel bad for her. If I had chose to not come back, she still probably would have, along with Cera and Ven."_

Their names brought a different feeling up inside me. The sense of betrayal and loss. I had thought we had become friends, but I guess I was wrong on that account.

I was alone with my thoughts long after dark when Luna began climbing down. "It's time."

I climbed down after her, Yanma buzzing after me. Xera followed suit, Dewpider clinging to her. Grovyle simply stayed in the tree, content to follow us from above.

Once on the ground, I grabbed my spear and Luna said, "My Tribe like's to attack when the Moon is at its highest, which is soon. We need to get going."

We walked quietly through the dark jungle, my heart pounding. Then the flora around us changed, becoming more lush and there was a visible path ahead of us, heading both left and right. Glowing fungi lit the Heart eerily, the chatter of Bug Pokemon the only sound aside from the occasional hoot I assumed came from a Noctowl.

I was about to say something, but Luna lifted a hand. "Listen."

We strained our ears, and in the far distance, the sound of a war cries could be heard.

"Dammit," Luna yelled, taking off at a run. "They started earlier than expected."

Xera and I had no choice but to run after her, my stuff bouncing on my back, my spear in my hand. I didn't know if I would be able to use it if push came to shove however.

As we ran, the sounds of battle grew louder. I heard raging yells and the shrieks of Pokemon. Suddenly, a Vigoroth came crashing through the bushes and I had to dive to my right to avoid him. I tumbled in the dirt, seeing Xera and Luna run further ahead.

"Ouch," I groaned, then heard a low growl. I looked back up to see a Mightyena coming out of the bushes, teeth bared.

"Heh heh," I said, backing away, clutching my spear tightly. "Nice doggy."

Mightyena growled and lunged for me, but Vigoroth slammed a fist into the Dark type's face and the two of them went tumbling away. Clambering to my feet, I hurried through the bushes to find myself facing a war. Men and women fought with spears in close quarter combat, Pokemon cries sounding from all around and above as humans fought humans, Pokemon fought Pokemon, and human fought Pokemon.

Then I noticed Eric. He was crouching in a tree, taking careful aim with his bow. His eyes narrowed at me and let the stone tipped arrow fly.

**That's right. Cliffhanger! Till next time readers. Toodles**


	18. Chapter 17: Battle Under the Moon Pt 2

I froze as I saw Eric narrow his eyes. When he let the arrow fly, I still could not move. Then, Luna came out of nowhere, slashing a metal dagger. The arrow was cut in two and the pieces flew past me.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" she yelled at me. "If you can't fight, get out of here! I'm busy enough as it is trying to stop all this! I don't have time to save you again."

Her Nidoqueen lumbered to her side, blocking another arrow from Eric.

Luna held out her hand. "Bow. Arrows. Now."

I hurriedly handed them over and Luna smiled gratefully before taking aim at Eric. He leaped out of the tree as her arrow hit the spot where his head would have been.

She took off into the battle. "C'mon Nidoqueen."

Her Pokemon lumbered after her, knocking aside Pokemon and humans alike. Knowing what she said was true, I ran. I tried to avoid any conflicts I saw, not fully realizing where I was going until I reached the medical tree.

Meda was coming out and looked shocked to see me. "You're back?"

I nodded, out of breath. Taking a gulp of air, I said, "I don't know what to do! I can't- they're going to kill me!"

I was panicking. My stress levels were at their absolute high and I was scared of dying. How was I going to survive this.

"Slow down Liam," Meda said soothingly, grabbing my shoulders. "I know your situation."

My eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes glowed green. "I see your destiny Liam. It's not clear, but I know enough. You must leave. Leave the Tribe's territory. Head to the Central Mountains."

"But," I didn't know what to say, unnerved by her glowing eyes.

"Listen to me," she said and her voice sounded more hollow, distant. _"Following the path of giants, betrayal's pain sharply taken, three must go their separate ways, secrets risen from the grave, and forbidden light unleashed."_

She shook her head, her eyes back to her normal teal. "Run Liam. Run far away."

I hesitated. "But-"

"There's no time," she said. "Find the one with hair like moonlight. She'll know the way."

She pushed me away and took off down the path, herbs bunched in her arms, her Shiinotic following her. I stood there for a couple seconds, trying to process what she had said. Who was-

"Luna," I breathed. I turned around and grimaced. I would be running right back into the fray of things.

"Why me," I said, and ran back the way I had come. Only, I didn't get so far. The ground in front of me was ripped apart, a root jutting out of the ground. I tripped over it and crashed into the dirt, my spear flying out of my hands.

I turned on my back and saw Sceptile up in a tree, glaring down at me. It gave a sharp cry and aimed its tail at me. I had seen a Sceptile in action before in Galar, so I knew what they could do with their tails.

I rolled to one side, grasping my spear, just as a barrage of leaves struck the ground where I had been. Several of them struck me, slicing away at my clothes and one slicing a thin cut into my cheek. I scrambled to my feet and continued on running.

I felt the forest shake, coming alive to kill me. Roots broke through the earth floor, trying to trip me and some flying high enough to smack me in the chest. I ducked below one such root and managed to keep my footing when I struck a root with my right foot. Ignoring the pain, I kept running. I felt the wind pick up behind me and a storm of leaves struck me in the back. I yelled in pain and fell into the dirt again.

Gripping my spear tightly, I got up and turned around to face the Sceptile. He was on a branch ten feet above me, just feet away. The thin leaves on the sides of his arms glowed green and he lunged towards me, slicing his Leaf Blades. Suddenly, something slammed into him, both Pokemon crashing into a tree. Sceptile's eyes narrowed and kicked the new arrival away. It was Yanma.

"Yanma," I breathed and the Bug type buzzed his wings, blasting a silvery wind into Sceptile. The Grass type sliced away the wind and leaped at Yanma. He sliced his arms, sending Yanma careening into the ground.

"Yanma!" I cried and Sceptile turned back to glaring at me. His mouth began glowing blue. I saw Yanma move, flying swiftly towards Sceptile. The Grass type whirled around and blasted Yanma with the full force of the draconic energy. He was blasted thirty feet away and slammed into a tree, leaves falling down on him.

"NO!" I screamed, then I was blasted with a storm of leaves from Sceptile's tail. I lifted my arms to protect my face. I felt my sleeves tear, my skin sliced. I yelled in pain and then the leaves stopped. I saw Sceptile stalk closer, his blades glowing.

Then, I saw a bright light. It blinded me and Sceptile turned to see what it was. Something zoomed towards us, slamming into Sceptile and grabbing onto him with six legs. It flew up and swung its glowing body in a circle before throwing the Grass type to the ground. The glow faded to reveal a Yanmega. My eyes shifted over to where Yanma had been blasted to, only to find he was gone. I looked back at the Yanmega, realizing what had just happened.

"You evolved," I whispered. "To protect me."

Yanmega flew towards me, only to stop when a column of leaves erupted from Sceptile. It rose so high it touched the treetops and I could no longer see the Grass type. I saw a flash of yellow eyes, then the hurricane of leaves was blasted apart. Sceptile stood there among the scattered leaves, his tail longer and shaped like a pine tree, the sharp point at the end red. The yellow balls on his back were darker the further you looked down his back, the last two bright red. His blades looked much sharper and his head narrower, eyes gleaming.

My eyes widened in disbelief. I couldn't actually believe I was seeing this with my own eyes. This phenomenon was so rare, many Pokemon Professors just thought of it as misidentification of Pokemon. But, it was real. Mega Evolution was real.

Yanmega screeched and blasted a sharp wind from his wings, but Sceptile ignored the attack. He swung his tail and blasted the tip into Yanmega, sending the Bug type crashing into the canopy above. The Grass type leaped into the tree and blasted the draconic energy into Yanmega. The Bug type split into multiple of himself and all flew into Sceptile, who slashed with his arms and tail, striking all the copies and sending the real one crashing into the dirt.

Sceptile jumped back on the ground, his impact sending shock waves through the earth, tree roots ripping out of the ground, grass growing abnormally large. The roots slammed into Yanmega and wrapped around him tightly. I tried to avoid getting caught, but the grass wrapped around my ankles, tripping me. I fell back into the dirt and watched as Sceptile came closer.

A loud roar echoed throughout the forest and a Dragonite burst through the canopy above, an electrified fist slamming into Sceptile with so much force my hair stood on end. The grass and roots retracted and Yanmega flew to my side, but he didn't need to protect me. Dragonite and Sceptile were battling, glowing claws striking into one another and draconic energy ripping through trees.

"We better get out of here," I said and scrambled to my feet. I was about to take off when Yanmega nudged me. He buzzed his wings and arched his back slightly. I understood and climbed on.

We took off and I patted his head. "Thanks for the save back there."

Yanmega buzzed happily and I said, "Now, we need to find Luna."

Yanmega nodded and we flew beneath the canopy, above the battle. I saw several bodies laid on the ground, blood soaking their clothes from stab or slash wounds. I tried to ignore the sight and looked for Luna. People were still fighting, the Jungle Tribe in their usual leaf woven garments with members from the Moonlit Tribe wearing dark Pokemon hide, much like Luna's, but tougher looking than what the Jungle Tribe wore.

Then I noticed Xera. She was trying to blend in with the shadows, clutching a wounded arm.

"Yanmega," I said. "We need to help her."

Yanmega nodded and dived towards her and I held on for dear life. A Staraptor flew for us, claws outstretched, but a Pokemon leaped out of a tree, slashing her cutter arms. Leavanny and the Staraptor went careening into the battle below and Yanmega pulled up slightly. Xera yelped as her shoulders were grabbed by Yanmega and we flew out of the battle.

I peered down at her. "You alright?"

She glared at me. "Put me down right now you-"

I brought my head back up, ignoring the curses she threw at me.

"Yanmega," I said. "Get us somewhere further away."

Ten seconds later, Yanmega sat Xera down carefully and I slid off the Bug type. As soon as my feet touched the ground, Xera's fist connected with my face and I stumbled back against Yanmega, grabbing my face.

"Ow," I complained. "What was that for!?"

"For abducting me like that," she said sharply.

"I was trying to save you," I said. "How bad is your arm?"

She lifted her right hand from the wound on her left arm and I saw a small stab wound, blood coating her arm. I grimaced. Lots of blood. I steeled myself and swallowed. I ripped a piece of my pants and began wrapping it tightly around Xera's wound. She yelped and gripped my arm so tight I thought it would break.

"Look," I hissed through clenched teeth. "Do you want me to help you or not."

She grimaced in pain, then relaxed her hand. I finished wrapping the wound and tied it off.

"Better?" I asked, wiping my bloody hands on my pants.

She turned away from me. "I guess."

"Good," I said, relieved. "Now, we need to find Luna."

"We!?" Xera said, turning back to me. "Who said anything about we!?"

"Are you seriously going to stay here after what your Tribe tried to do to you!?" I was angry for some reason, which surprised me and I'm guessing Xera by her face. "They were willing to kill me and blame you for it! Are you really going to stay here!? We're much better off sticking together!"

Her face grew tight with anger and raised her fist. For a second I thought she would punch me again, but she slammed her fist against a tree.

"Fine then," she hissed. "Where is she?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. Last I saw she was trying to stop her Tribe."

"A lot of help that's doing us," Xera huffed.

Suddenly, we heard a loud horn blow through the Heart, a deep bellowing tone.

I slammed my hands on my ears. "What in the heck is that!?"

When the noise faded away, Xera's eyes widened. "I don't believe it. They signaled their retreat."

"Who?" I asked, my ears still ringing.

"The Moonlit Tribe," she breathed. "We drove them off."

Suddenly the ground around me erupted, clumps of dirt flying in every direction. Vines wrapped themselves around my legs and arms, slamming me to the ground. I heard Xera yell in pain as the same was done to her, a vine wrapped around her wound. Yanmega screeched behind me as the same was done to him.

Two figures came out of the bushes. A human and Pokemon.

"Liam, Xera," Eric said, shouldering his bow as Shiftry grinned evilly. "The Elders request your capture."

He came over to me and slammed his fist into my face and I instantly was driven into unconsciousness.

**Well, so much for getting out of there. Once upon a time Liam was accepted into the Jungle Tribe, now he's been captured by them. Everything is going swell. Alright, till next time readers. Toodles**


	19. Chapter 18: Javic and His Final Descent

I dreamt of vines. Bursting from the forest floor, wrapping their thick tendrils around me, squeezing the life out of me. I could feel them breaking my windpipe and I opened my mouth in a silent scream.

I saw Eric and his Shiftry standing close by, smirks on both of their faces. I saw Sceptile up in a tree, appearing to enjoy my suffering as the jungle claimed me. I saw Cera and Ven, two people I had considered friends, before they had stabbed me in the back. I saw Ryan, his body, laying limp on the ground. The ground burst open and he fell into a bottomless pit.

The vines squeezed harder and the edges of my vision began to darken. I was angry, but I mostly felt sorrow, an emptiness that carved deep into my heart. I had lost my brother, I was betrayed, and now I was going to die. I looked up at the canopy, the sunlight streaming through. Suddenly, I felt at peace. Everything that had happened since I arrived here on this island, this Mysterious Region, was absolutely terrible, but I was glad for one thing.

I smiled and darkness overwhelmed me. I was glad I would die here, on this island, a place I never wanted to leave from.

...

I jolted upright, breathing hard. I felt my chest, then my face. I was sweating like crazy, but that could be part of the humidity. I clutched my shirt and gave a sigh of relief. What was I thinking. Thank the heavens I was alive and breathing.

I felt something hit my head and roll onto my lap. I looked to see Xera glaring at me, sitting on a stump. "Eat."

I looked at the spiky green fruit and hesitantly picked it up.

"It's fine," Xera said, rolling her eyes. "It's just food."

I bit into it and was surprised by the sweet flavor. The spikes were also not very spiky at all and tasted wonderful.

"Thanks," I said after the first bite, then proceeded to demolish the fruit. Once done, I wiped my mouth and got a better look at our surroundings. We were in a small clearing lined with trees with a couple stumps. While Xera sat on one, Luna leaned against another, picking at the grass. Grovyle, Dewpider, Yanmega, and Nidoqueen were nowhere to be seen.

"I thought you would be gone with your tribe," I said to Luna, coming to sit a couple feet from her. My memory was slightly fuzzy, but I was pretty sure her tribe, the Moonlit Tribe, had retreated.

Luna gave a short laugh. "I was with them, then gave them the slip."

She looked at me. "I need you, so I came back. A lot of good that did me."

"Gee," I said. "Thanks. It almost sounded like you care about me."

"And what am I," Xera said from ten feet away on her stump. "Ursaring dung?"

Luna didn't even bother to look back at her. "I didn't come here to rescue you. I came for him and him alone."

"She stays," I said and Luna shrugged.

"She's gonna have to," Luna said, mercilessly ripping at the grass and I was sure I heard a Pokemon hiss in fury from somewhere in the trees. "At this point we have no choice."

I looked at Xera, then her wounded arm. "How is it?"

Xera glanced at her arm, then shrugged. "I've had worse."

"She got it tended to while you were out," Luna said, ripping out more grass, and now I was sure I heard a Pokemon hiss now. "She'll live."

"What is that?" I asked, scanning the trees.

"Sceptile," Xera responded. "He's the one guarding us. Just him, but that's enough. One wrong move such as trying to escape and he has permission to kill us."

My mouth went dry, but that wasn't much of a difference. I was parched now, despite the juicy fruit. "Fun."

"He's not that bad," Luna said, tearing more grass in half and now I swear I could see Sceptile's glowing yellow eyes narrow in fury.

"So where are the Pokemon?" I asked.

"Not here," Xera said obviously. "I remember Grovyle trying to help me, but he got taken down pretty fast by Shiftry. Dewpider is somewhere, I lost him during the battle."

"What about Yanmega?" I asked, worried for the Bug type.

Xera shrugged. "Again, I don't know."

I turned to Luna, but she seemed to have already guessed my question. "Nidoqueen wasn't captured by the tribe, trust me."

I nodded. Maybe Luna had an escape plan that wouldn't get us killed by Sceptile. Or maybe that was too much to hope for.

After minutes of silence, I asked, "So, Luna, why come back for me? What do you need me for."

Luna didn't answer right away, but soon said, "Your arrival here, to this island, has been foretold for centuries. I just didn't expect it to happen so soon."

"Island," I mused, then realized something that hadn't struck my thoughts till now. "Why does everyone keep calling it "the island"? Doesn't it have a name."

Xera and Luna actually shared an uneasy glance.

"Liam," Luna said, voice tense. "The Jungle Tribe may have its weird taboos, but there is one thing that everyone on this island agrees with. That the name for this place must never be spoken."

"What about written?" I asked, though I didn't say that to be funny. I was genuinely curious. Thing like this had to have a loophole, right?

I felt a clump of dirt hit me in the side of the head and I winced upon impact. Shaking the dirt loose, I looked at Xera. "What was that for!?"

She rolled her eyes. "For being the idiot you are."

"Liam," my attention swung back to Luna. "You're curious, that's good. That actually might be the best thing about you, but knowing the island's name, well, in this island's history, those who know it have tragic fates."

"Tragic..." I whispered. "Fates?"

Luna nodded. "While we're stuck here, I guess I can tell you a story. Something I think you would call a "bedtime story" I believe?"

I crossed my legs, eager to hear the story. "I'm listening."

Luna smiled. "Alright then. This is the tale of "Javic and His Final Descent"."

"Oh," Xera said softly. "That story."

"Hm," Luna looked at her. "So you've heard of it too."

"Yeah," Xera nodded. "I had thought only the Jungle Tribe knew of it though."

"I guess that goes to show how alike your tribes are," I said and they both glared at me. I rubbed the back of my head. "Sorry, continue with the story please."

Luna sat up straighter. "This story takes place hundreds of years ago, to a time before even today's tribes existed, to where all were a scattered people on this island. A time where bloody conflicts were much common..."

...

Javic fell to his knees before the stone steps to the top of the tallest mountain, unable to move any further. _"Just what have I done!?"_

He had killed hundreds of people and Pokemon, all for the control of the one stretch of land. The enemy tribe was desperate, starving for resources. But that land had been blessed to them by the sacred god of the Sun. He and his tribe fought for what was rightfully theirs, killing the entire enemy tribe.

Javic dug his fingers into the ground, creating groove marks. Then that's when the gods punished them. Their own resources were dwindling, so they looked for new land, in which another tribe lived. So they fought, which was the order of things. But winning that dispute had a high price. He among both tribes was the only one left alive. And in the battle, the land he and his tribe fought to claim, had been brought to ruin.

_"Just what is the point!?"_ he though in despair. _"What is the point of all this!?"_

He looked up the stone steps and to the altar at the peak. Crumbling ruins stood proudly, the only place left where anyone could receive divine words from the gods. Javic himself had come many times before, but this time it was for something different. Understanding.

He shakily rose to his feet and slowly made his way up to the altar. There he stood in the middle of the ruins and raised his voice in a pleading tone. "Please! Tell me! Why must things go about this way!? Why must we kill to survive!? Why is it all pointless in the end."

He collapsed to his knees, weeping. It was then he heard the divine words of the god of the Sun. What he heard was the last thing he expected. The name of the island. Javic stumbled back down the mountain, clutching his heart. Now he knew the name of the island. Now he knew why it must never be told.

He began his final descent down the mountain, his journey one with no end. He went deeper and deeper into the earth until finally he was met with a wall of absolute blackness. He knew it would come. He knew his fate was sealed the moment he had heard that name, the sacred, evil name. So he welcomed Death's embrace, knowing the island was much better off without him. One less human to kill to survive on the island.

...

I sat back, a bit surprised. "Just what kind of story is that!? What's the moral!?"

"Don't learn the name of the island," Xera said simply. Or death awaits you."

Luna nodded and I just shook my head. "You know, that's just messed up. It's just a name."

They didn't respond to that.

Sighing, I stood and went to sit on my own stump. That story was much more than unsatisfying. I'm sure there were other stories, but I don't think either of them were willing to share any. Suddenly, I remembered something as I stared off into the trees.

"Luna," I said. "What did you mean it was foretold I would be here?"

"In my tribe," Luna said, stopping midway from ripping the grass out. "There's an uncompleted prophecy. We even have broken stone tablets depicting future events. But those are hard to make out."

"But how could you know it's related to me?" I questioned.

Luna stared me in the eyes and I was unnerved by her golden gaze. "Through storm shall he arrive, one who shall upset the balance of nature. Following the-"

"Path of giants," I breathed and Luna sucked in a breath.

"Where have you heard that?" Luna asked quietly.

Her tone unnerved me more, but I said, "Meda. I ran into her during the battle and her eyes glowed green."

"What?" Xera looked a bit shocked. "Meda may be our Spirit Guide, but her eyes have never glowed green before."

"Spirit Guides of the past have been able to foretell prophecies," Luna said. "But I had thought that skill was long lost. How old is she?"

"Young," Xera answered. "Youngest in our tribal history apparently."

"Strange," Luna murmured. "Liam, what else did she say."

"Following the path of giants," I racked my brain for the rest. "Betrayal's pain sharply taken, uh, two, no, three must go their separate ways, secrets risen from the gray, I mean grave, and forbidden light unleashed."

"Damn," Luna breathed, amazed. "That might just be the whole prophecy. I've only managed to find the scattered words of betrayal, pain, three, and light. And of course the line of following the path of giants. At least I definitely know where we need to go."

"Where?" I asked.

Luna looked at me, then at the trees where Sceptile was likely spying on us. "Best if I don't tell you. Plus, we need to get out of here first."

"How will we manage that?" I wondered.

"We can't," Xera said. "We have to hope for the Elder's judgement to be forgiving."

Luna snorted. "Unlikely."

Laying as best as I could on the stump, I closed my eyes and thought of the prophecy. _"Through storm shall he arrive, one who shall upset the balance of nature. Following the path of giants, betrayal's pain sharply taken, three must go their separate ways. Secrets risen from the grave and forbidden light unleashed."_

I turned over on my side. _"Just what have I gotten myself into?"_

**A little small story put in the middle of all this, which couldn't be more vague. Yeah, have fun trying to decipher that one. Anyway, now all Liam and his two "friends" have to do is wait for the Elders' final decision. Till next time. Toodles**


	20. Chapter 19: Trial in Venusaur's Heart

I awoke on the stump, feeling refreshed. I blinked twice. It was night now. _"What time had I fallen asleep at?"_

I rose from my laying position, my feet touching the cool grass. Around the whole clearing the fungi were lit and the light seemed to soothe my soul. The night air was slightly warm, but comfortable. I couldn't even sense Sceptile's presence. The stars above twinkled, their beauty unhindered.

I looked around, noting that both Xera and Luna were asleep. Xera had passed out on her stump while Luna lay in the grass, both breathing softly. I smiled at their peaceful faces. For some reason, being able to see them like that made me feel even more at ease.

"Hey," I whispered softly, placing a hand over the dog tags beneath my shirt while looking at the stars once more. "I'm in a real pickle now aren't I, brother?"

I imagined him up there, cocky smile brightened across his face. _"So tell me, how are you going to get out of this little bro?"_

"I don't know," I said truthfully. "To be frank, the only thing I can think of happening is my, no, our deaths. But maybe, just maybe, we'll survive through this."

"Then," I grinned with confidence and thrust a fist towards the sky. "Then I can truly survive. I will, I promised didn't I?"

I thought about Eric, Cera, Ven, and any others that had betrayed me. Although the pain was terrible, I couldn't feel any rage towards them now, not even to Eric who dumped my brother's body into that chasm. I remembered once Ryan had told me I had a gently soul, one that wasn't meant for conflict.

"Somehow," I murmured. "Somehow I've been getting through this though. I won't let you down, I promise."

Something gleamed in the corner of my eyes. Eyes. I swiveled my head to face the trees to my left, my thoughts going directly to Sceptile. But, these yellow eyes felt different somehow. Not so much as hatred as curiosity. A breeze filtered by me, carrying with it a giggle. I strained my ears, wondering if I misheard that, but it flowed by me for a couple seconds before dissipating. It sounded like a little girl, but those eyes definitely didn't match that. Then they winked out and I felt the presence no more.

Dismissing it as my imagination, I laid back down on the log. I wasn't remotely tired, but I had nothing better to do. I turned my head to look West, looking at the Central Mountains in the far distance. How long would it take to get there on foot? Weeks? A month? I knew even if the three of us managed to get out of the current situation alive, we had a tough road ahead. Wherever we were going to go, the distance would be vast and difficult.

With sleep a long ways off, I thought of my past, a time that feels like a lifetime ago. The first time I had felt great pain.

...

_I sat by my window, looking out at the city. Factories continued to pump smoke out of them, men in dirty work clothes with umbrellas to block the rain walked along the cobblestone street. Life continued on as normal, but the thought of that only brought fresh tears to my eyes. _

_"Dad," I whispered and I tasted my salty tears. I hunched over, my body spasming as I tried to keep myself from crying out. "Why did you have to leave me?"_

_I heard a knock on my door and I quickly wiped away my tears. I said in a twisted voice, "Come in."_

_Ryan opened the door, sporting a new haircut._

_"So you're still going," I whispered, holding back tears._

_He nodded. "I have to. Galar needs more support on the Eastern Front. With tensions between us and Kalos rising, I think it would be best to solve this conflict before we mend things with Kalos. Though I fear our relations have already been pushed to the limit."_

_He knelt and put a hand on my shoulder. "Look, I'm coming back. You'll be staying with our Aunt and Uncle in the meantime, but I will be back. I leave in a week, so let's be sure to spend as much time together as we can."_

_I nodded. "Alright."_

...

I shoved that memory away. I didn't want to think about my Dad's death again. But, even when my brother was deployed, I couldn't hate him for leaving. He was the only one that I had left. Considering who my Aunt and Uncle were, I didn't bother to count them. If I went by that though, now I was alone.

"No," I thought, shaking my head furiously. "It may not be much or what you could've hoped for, but you have Luna and Xera."

Sure they may be allies at the moment, but I was hopeful I could come to fully trust them. Suddenly, I felt vines snake their way up around my body, squeezing gently, as if warning me not to react. I tried to stay determined, fearless, but that was quickly disappearing as the dread creeped up faster.

Someone walked into my line of sight and I sucked in a breath. "Eric."

He grinned at me. "Hey kid. How's it going?"

"Wha-!" I heard Luna awake in anger. "Get these things off of mmphf!"

Eric sighed. "Shiftry, make sure her vines are especially tight. I hope you, Xera, are more cooperative."

Xera just glared at him and he chuckled, looking back at me. "It's time kiddos. The trial will begin soon."

I heard a gasp of air as Luna managed to knock the vine loose from her mouth. "Trial!? What Trial!?"

Eric grinned at Xera's shocked face. "That's right. You know what I mean."

"What do you mean?" I gasped as the vines tightened.

He only laughed and motioned for Shiftry to follow him. "Come on. Make sure to let them loose in, I don't know, ten minutes."

They disappeared into the forest, but the vines didn't loosen.

I heard Luna growl in frustration. "Xera, what the hell was he talking about!?"

Xera's face looked pale in the moonlight. "The Trial, it's meant to test us. We're supposed to escape the Jungle Tribe's territory."

I felt myself pale as well. "But, it's like a day's walk to the Branching River. More probably in any other direction."

Xera nodded gravely. "I know. The Elders have already decided our fate. They want us dead or out. If we manage to escape the jungle, we're allowed to live. But if we don't..."

"They kill us," Luna finished. "Great. This is just great."

"However," Xera started talking again. "Our first issue will be getting out of the Heart. No one, not even Pokemon, will be in the Heart, except Sceptile."

Luna cursed and I gripped my fists. "I fought that Pokemon, me and Yanmega. We lost. If it weren't for that Dragonite, we would ha-"

"Dragonite?" Xera cut in, confused. "What Dragonite?"

"Just as we were going to die," I said, remembering how Sceptile had been stalking towards me. "A Dragonite burst from the trees and started battling."

"But," Xera still looked confused. "There shouldn't be any Dragonites anywhere near the Jungle at all. I guess it could've come along with the Moonlit Tribe."

I looked at Luna. "Do Dragonites live near the Moonlit Tribe."

Luna smiled weakly. "Something like that."

I had a feeling she was hiding something, but now wasn't the time to press the matter.

"Okay," I breathed as best as I could with the vines wrapped around my chest. "What should we do when we get out of these binds?"

"Weapons," Luna said immediately. "We'll need weapons to fight Sceptile. That fight seems unavoidable."

Xera nodded in agreement. "Definitely. The Tribe always leaves weapons for us. I know where they'll be."

"Actually," I said. "I think I know where some weapons might be. Well, just a bow and some arrows, but it'll do."

"Where?" Luna grunted, trying to free herself from the vines.

"The tree Eric let me use," I responded. "I left some of my stuff in there."

Xera nodded. "I can handle a bow well."

"So can I," Luna grunted again.

Then I heard a slashing sound. Luna grinned madly as she finished cutting up the vines wrapped around her with her steel knife. She stretched. "Much better." She came over to me and started cutting me loose.

"Where were you hiding that?" I wondered aloud.

"It's a secret," Luna smiled. She went over to Xera once I was free and I rubbed my wrists.

"Let's get going," Xera got to her feet quickly. "There's no telling when Sceptile will appear. He might be waiting for us to get weapons before attacking, just for the fun of it."

She took off in a direction and Luna and I followed suit. We burst into the jungle and after ten seconds, found the main path.

"This way," she pointed to the left and we ran down the path. It felt eerie, not seeing any other tribal people or Pokemon. No sounds except for our feet pounding the ground. Yet, the forest felt alive, more so as we ran.

"It's Sceptile," Xera said, as if sensing my thoughts. "He's gathering the power of the Heart. I don't even know if he can lose. The best thing we're able to do is get out as fast as we can. I think he won't follow us if we leave the Heart altogether."

"Good to know," I panted, then the jungle began to look familiar. I began to wonder why when my head instinctively looked left.

"This way," I yelled and ran off the path. In no time, I saw the tree I had slept in. My momentum carried me up the stones and I practically fell through the vines covering the entrance. I had only expected my old bow and arrows to be here, but surprisingly, all of my new stuff was here as well, including the bow and arrows I had carried on the patrol.

Luna and Xera came in behind me and Luna asked, "Why is all your stuff here?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. But it'll be useful anyway."

"They don't think much of him," Xera said. "That's why. Honestly, I don't blame them."

"That makes me feel so much better," I grumbled, grabbing the waterskin flask and tying it to my waist. I made to grab the bow, but Luna grabbed it first.

"You have no experience," she said, putting it over her back. "Let the ones who know how to shoot actually use it."

I saw Xera take my old bow and arrows, then handed the new arrows to Luna. "Fine."

I located my knife and hooked it to my left waist. I looked at the copper wiring and flint and steel. Making up my mind, I grabbed them and pocketed the items, then grabbed my spear.

"We good?" Luna asked me, halfway out of the tree. I nodded and followed her out where Xera was waiting nervously for us.

"What is it?" I asked, feeling as if something was off.

"The Heart," she whispered. "I- It's like it was talking, but now it isn't."

I listened and realized what was missing. Earlier it felt as if the forest was humming with power, but now it had stopped.

Luna took off her bow and nocked an arrow. "He's here, isn't he."

It wasn't a question, but Xera nodded anyway, mimicking Luna with her own bow. I gripped my spear and glanced up at the canopy above us. Then, the forest began to tremble. I heard a sharp cry and swiveled my head to the right. There, standing atop a branch fifty feet from us, was Sceptile.

Luna aimed then shot her arrow, in the blink of an eye, Sceptile sliced the arrow apart.

"We need to run," Xera said. "Now."

We took off, following Xera since she knew the way out of the Heart. Suddenly, the ground ripped apart twenty feet ahead, huge roots breaking through the earth. They whipped through the air and pounded the ground, almost making me lose my footing.

"This way!" Xera yelled and turned right.

The grass all around us grew and the vines hanging from the trees lashed out as us. I swung my spear at any that got close, but I had a feeling it wasn't doing much. A tree ahead of us groaned and tipped our way.

"Oh come on," I whined and we had to veer to the left to avoid getting crushed. Now the whole forest was alive. Branches swaying and the ground trembling. Suddenly, I felt a sensation creep up my back and I barely had time to react before I was struck in the back by sharp leaves. I was blown forwards, slamming into Luna. We tumbled forwards and I groaned in pain. I could feel at least three of the things stuck in my back.

Luna pushed me off here and nocked an arrow. I followed her gaze as she let the arrow fly. Sceptile grabbed it midair and flung it to the ground. He was standing on a branch ten feet from us, glaring at us. The leaves on his arms grew slightly longer and he screeched at us.

I heard a crash behind us and Xera came tumbling into us. Trees began collapsing all around us, trapping us in. Sceptile landed on the ground, yellow eyes flashing murderously.

"We're screwed," I said, giving up.

Just then, a bellow echoed through the forest and the Dragonite from before crashed into Sceptile from above, a dust cloud billowing upwards.

"Wha-!?" I exclaimed.

Luna grinned, sitting up. "Finish him off for us will you, Dragonite!"

"You know him?" I asked.

She nodded. "Something like that. And it's a her, not him."

As we got to our feet, Dragonite was blasted backwards by a tornado of leaves. Sceptile emerged from it, mega evolved. His claws glowed with draconic energy and lunged for Dragonite, slashing his claws. As Dragonite prepared to attack, roots shot from the ground and wrapped around Dragonite's body. Sceptile slashed his claws, Dragonite roaring in pain.

"Not good, " Luna murmured.

I heard a cry from behind us and something zoomed past our heads, latching onto Sceptile with six clawed feet. The Pokemon threw the Grass type into a tree, where he only glared at Yanmega.

"Grov," I heard and looked at where Xera was and saw Grovyle and Dewpider there at her side.

"Looks like everyone's here," I noted. "Except for Nidoqueen. Where is she?"

I directed that question towards Luna, but she didn't respond. I heard a loud crash and I saw Dragonite slam into a tree, Yanmega crashing into the tree near it. Dragonite stood, but collapsed to one knee. Then, something weird happened. Her body seemed to flicker. She began to shrink until she was two feet smaller than before, her rough skin darkening. Her scales disappeared to be replaced by black fur as her body became much thinner. Purple claws jutted out of her hands and her eyes turned into a sharp yellow. Long bushy purple and brown fur sprung from the back of her head and ended in a point behind her on the ground. She bared her fangs and I knew I recognized that Pokemon, but from where?

"Zoroark," Luna said, standing. "That's who she is."

Zoroark glanced back at Luna and appeared to grin. Luna smiled back and said, "End this Zoroark."

The Dark type nodded and turned back to face Sceptile, who's grass blades glowed green. Yanmega hovered next to Zoroark, ready to fight as well. They were at a standoff, Pokemon facing Pokemon. Then Zoroark lunged, claws glowing, and Yanmega zoomed forwards as well, wind swirling around him. Sceptile screeched and bolted towards them, blades slicing through the air.

**You know, I'm getting really good with these cliffhangers. I guess they don't work if I've already published new chapters by the time some readers get here, but what can you do? That's it for now. Till next time. Toodles**


	21. Chapter 20: Screams of the Damned

Sceptile flew past the two charging Pokemon, streaks of green color fading into Sceptile's blades. Zoroark fell onto one knee and Yanmega slammed sideways into a tree, but managed to stay in the air. Sceptile glared at them, as if wondering why they weren't down yet.

"No," I said, eyes wide in fear. "You guys can't win this! He's too powerful!"

Yanmega glanced my way and I saw something in his eyes. A desire to fight. To fight for... me?

I felt tears well up in my eyes. _"No,"_ I wanted to say. _"You can't. He'll kill you."_

I was certain Sceptile would at this point. His grass blades seemed sharper now and his eyes narrowed, ready to kill. Yet Yanmega and Zoroark still stood. I knew Zoroark was standing for Luna, but why was Yanmega fighting for me? What did he see in me that I didn't?

Suddenly, Zoroark roared. Her form flickered until she turned into Mega Sceptile as well. She charged and slashed at the real Sceptile, blades clashing. Both Sceptiles opened their mouths and twin beams of draconic energy shot forth, blasting both Pokemon away. Zoroark's form flickered, but she managed to stay in character. Yanmega buzzed his wings, slicing the air apart in Sceptile's direction. The Grass type only had to slash the air as well, cancelling the moves out.

Sceptile then pounded the earth and the forest began moving. Trees swayed and branches swung, leaves breaking apart from them and swirling around Sceptile. Yellow eyes flashed and a storm of leaves shot forwards, striking endlessly against Zoroark and Yanmega. This was the true power of a Jungle Guardian. An endless supply of power.

_"Why!?"_ My mind was in chaos. _"Why are you still standing for us!?"_

I could see bit of blood flying from both Pokemon now, yet they still braved the barrage of leaves and glared at Sceptile, Zoroark now back in her Dark type form.

_"Damn't!"_ I roared inside my head, pounding the ground uselessly. Then I remembered when I had first went on the patrol. When Yanma had first sat on my head. How happy he was when I petted him. I remembered all the times he was there, always making me happy, even for the short amount of time we were together.

"You," I lifted my gaze to stare at Yanmega, who's wings were now being chipped at. "You're my friend. That's why... That's why you fight for me."

My grip on my spear tightened and I felt a surging emotion within me, telling me to rise and take action. I had to help them. I had to help my friend.

I gritted my teeth and pushed myself to my feet. I ignored Luna and Xera's calls to me as I glared at Sceptile. I charged.

...

Many thoughts went through my head at the moment. How bad of an idea this was. How I was probably about to die. But I didn't care. I had to save my friend.

"Aaaaaaah!" I yelled, thrusting the spear forwards. Sceptile swung his body around, directing the storm of leaves at me now. I was nearly knocked backwards upon the assault, but I slammed my spear into the ground, not wanting to get knocked back any further.

In that instant Sceptile had changed targets, two Yanmegas charged. Both sliced at Sceptile with their wings, cutting off the storm. Sceptile slammed his right fist into the ground, gigantic roots bursting from the ground. They swung through the air and both Yanmegas flew right past them, trying to get to Sceptile. Both glowed with green energy as they weaved their way past the roots.

At this point I realized I had to take action as well. I hefted my spear into the air and held it back over my shoulder. Adrenaline pumped through me so hard and fast, I felt like I could do anything. A root changed course and plunged for one of the Yanmegas. The one in the front lifted their wings, letting themselves get blown backwards and taking the hit for the other Yanmega. She shifted form as she fell, landing on the ground as a Zoroark.

This was it. It was too late to intercept Yanmega with the roots as she gained momentum. I clenched my teeth and threw the spear. Both it and Yanmega reached Sceptile at the same time, closing in on him. Then a tornado of leaves blew up around him, blowing back the spear and Yanmega. My weapon rolled somewhere to my left while Yanmega was slammed into the ground.

Just as Sceptile was about to make a move towards Yanmega, an arrow shot towards him, which he cut down instantly. We both looked behind me to see Luna there, bow in hand.

Her golden eyes sparked with fury. "We can't let you have all the fun Liam now can we."

"Here," I heard Xera call from my right and I barely managed to grab my spear before it hit me. She then grabbed an arrow and pulled it back on her bow. Dewpider and Grovyle stood next to her, both ready to fight.

My face lit up in a huge smile and fresh tears formed in my eyes. "You all..."

I turned back towards Sceptile, who looked more annoyed than angry. Shakily, both Zoroark and Yanmega both got up again, both on their limit, but willing to fight on. Gathering my courage, I pointed my spear at Sceptile.

With a yell, I ran forwards, Xera and Luna running in arcs on opposite sides of me, each shooting an arrow. Sceptile slashed them both apart as Zoroark closed in on all fours. She leaped onto the Grass type, raking her claws across him and plunging her teeth into his shoulder. I saw blood, but Sceptile flung her off of him just as Yanmega latched onto Sceptile's tail. Buzzing his wings as hard as he could, he lifted Sceptile off the ground. Dewpider shot webs at the Grass type, binding him thickly as Grovyle sliced upwards.

Screeching in anger, Sceptile blasted the tip of his tail off, sending Yanmega crashing into the canopy above. He ripped apart the webs and slashed his blades across Grovyle's chest, sending him crashing into Dewpider.

As Sceptile fell, I closed in. I lunged forwards, thrusting my spear. Before he could react, the metal tip slid past Sceptile's arm, a thin trail of blood in the air. A murderous rage burned in his eyes and a storm of leaves shot me backwards. I landed on the ground hard and rolled to a stop.

"We can't beat him," I thought in despair. "If only there was a way we could find a Pokemon that could outmatch him. But is there even such a Pokemon capable of standing up to this monster?"

Only one option came to mind now. I glanced around desperately and spotted a weak point in the wall of collapsed trees around us. A tangle of roots at one end.

"Grovyle!" I yelled as Zoroark had grabbed Sceptile's attention again. "I need your help!"

All I had to do was point at the roots and he understood. He jetted forwards, slicing as he went, creating a small path between two fallen trees.

"Run!" I yelled. "Run!"

Xera and Luna saw where I was directing them to and they immediately started running. I saw Yanmega in the air above me, sending blasts of wind towards Sceptile, trying to keep him at bay as Zoroark retreated. She scooped up Dewpider onto her back and ran on all fours. I ran with them and soon we had broke free of the cage Sceptile had trapped us in.

I heard Yanmega flying overhead as we all ran as fast as we could to escape Sceptile. The ground trembled and broke apart as we ran, roots shooting our way. I spared one quick glance behind us to see Sceptile jumping from tree-to-tree, keeping up at an excellent pace.

"THERE!" I heard Xera yell ahead of me and I managed to catch a glimpse of the jungle ahead. About twenty meters away, the jungle became less lush and I knew we were almost out of the Heart. Sceptile wouldn't pursue us beyond that point. Putting on a burst of speed I didn't stop until I practically threw myself onto the mossy ground on the other side. We all came to a halt, catching our breaths.

We all turned back to see Sceptile standing in a tree just ten meters from the boundary, roots stopping their advance. I saw Sceptile close his eyes, visibly relaxing. Then, his eyes shot open, yellow eyes staring daggers at us. The ground trembled and the roots began to slowly advance.

I took a step backwards. "I thought you said he wouldn't follow us out of the Heart."

Xera looked pale. "I figured... he's the Heart's protector..."

"Run," Luna whispered, her voice raising to a yell. "Just RUN!"

We took off just as the roots sprung forwards. Grovyle had climbed onto Zoroark's back and she seemed fine despite the extra weight. I heard crashing sounds behind us, but I didn't dare look back. I knew we couldn't keep this up for long. We would either get caught be Sceptile or we would run into Jungle Tribe members out here. Both were undesirable scenarios.

Then I began recognizing this part of the jungle. No. No way we were this unlucky.

_"Wait,"_ I thought. _"What if- This might be our only chance."_

"Xera, Luna!" I yelled ahead. "No matter what, keep running! No matter what you see!"

I imagined they were both confused, but then I saw Xera stiffen slightly. She knew what I was planning, yet she went along with it, continuing to run in this direction.

_"Just," _I was breathing hard. _"Just a little further."_

We burst from the treeline and into a large clearing where small stone structures were placed all around, bones of all kind littering the ground. A chill went up my spine, but I welcomed it. It was a good sign.

I only managed to go another few meters before my legs finally gave out. I collapsed and took ragged breaths. My throat was on fire. I clutched my chest, trying to regain my composure.

Zoroark skidded to a halt behind me, bones sent flying, and turned to face Sceptile who had just landed in the clearing. He surveyed the bones, but then homed in on our group. I tried raising my spear, but it felt too heavy in my hands now. Suddenly, another chill shot down my spine and something howled in delight. Turning my head, I saw it. The creature that had attacked me when I was here last and had killed Bulbasaur.

"Haunting," Xera whispered. "It's the Haunting."

"Yeah," I wheezed. "But it's our only chance now."

The Haunting's long arms reached out, blood stained claws ready to grasp onto us. Then it noticed Sceptile. Instantly, I felt a spark of rivalry. Both wanted to kill us, so naturally, they had to kill each other first.

The Haunting flew forwards, claws slashing. Sceptile's claws elongated into claws of draconic energy and he blocked the attack. Pushing the Haunting back, Sceptile blasted a beam of draconic energy, blasting the creature in the chest. It howled in pain and fury, firing ghostly energy at Sceptile.

The Grass type was knocked back a step and he looked furious. Punching the ground, the earth shook, but no roots appeared. Looks like none would even tunnel beneath this place. Growling, Sceptile flung his arm out, a swarm of leaves surrounding him. He shot them towards the Haunting, ripping through the creature's wispy form.

"We should get out of here," Luna hauled me to my feet, but before we could run, a chilling scream erupted from the Haunting. The ground quaked, bones rattling against one another, as cracks formed in the earth.

Ghostly spirits rose from the cracks, forming into more Hauntings. They all gave chilling screams that shook me to the bone.

Sceptile charged forwards, slashing through dozens of them with his blades, wispy forms scattered into nothing, only to reform again. But this time, they reformed into something else. There were people. People and Pokemon. Ghostly forms of the lost replaced the Hauntings, ready to do battle once more.

"These are all tortured spirits," Luna breathed and I looked at her and almost fell back a step. Her eyes, her golden eyes were glowing. "Souls who couldn't move on from the tragedy that took place here. But now they have something to battle against."

I gazed over their ghostly forms, unable to really see any details of each form. But one stood out from the rest. A Bulbasaur. He looked at me and appeared to smile. Then they all began their advance on Sceptile, a ghostly army going to war. Sceptile's blades glowed and he growled.

"Come on you two," Xera had to pull on Luna and I to get us going. We followed her lead, Zoroark at our side and Yanmega above us. I looked back, only once, to see Sceptile charging at the ghostly warriors. Then, rising like the sun was, coloring the once night sky, a scream filled the air. A scream of the lost. No, screams of the damned.

**2000 plus words of just good old action. Hope you all enjoyed. Till next time. Toodles**


	22. Chapter 21: The Hunted

Breathless, I staggered to a stop, putting both hands on a tree to steady myself as I sank to the ground.

"Come on," Luna said, hauling me to my feet. "Now isn't the time to rest. We need to hide."

I groaned. Thanks to the injuries I received from Sceptile plus all the running, I was exhausted.

"I can't," I wheezed. "Go any further."

I collapsed back on the ground and breathed heavily. Luna kneeled next to me and grimaced. "Fine."

She ripped off some moss off a root and held it up to Dewpider. "Wet this will you."

Dewpider blew some bubbles and they popped on the moss. Luna squeezed it to release some of the water, then began wiping my face with it.

"Not too deep," she said. Must be talking about the small cuts on my face. Then she froze and leaned in closer to the point where I could feel her hot breath.

"Xera," she said, pointing to a spot on my left cheek. "Take a look at this."

Xera leaned in close, her face spinning in front of my eyes, her voice more distant. "He's been poisoned. Sceptile didn't want to take chances. Must be slow acting."

I felt my body get laid down, but I didn't know if it was Luna or Xera who had done it. My vision had gone blurry and my brain muddled up. I saw a figure rise from beside me and I reached out a shaking hand in an attempt to stop them.

"P-please," my voice was shaking as well. "D-don't go..."

My vision was fading. I could hear voices. Talking. Talking. I could see silhouettes. Three of them. Humans. Not Pokemon. Humans. Not Pokemon. Humans. Not Pokemon...

...

I was running. I knew I shouldn't stop. He was getting closer. I could feel his sharp gaze in the trees, leaves slicing through the air. I felt them slice past my face, stick themselves in my back, ripping apart my leaf-woven clothes.

I turned my head and saw him lunge through the air, his sharp tail punching through my back and shooting out of my chest. I screamed in agony as I saw the blood on his tail, watching it slide backwards out of my body. I fell to my knees, blood gushing from my mouth. I tried to speak, choking on the blood. I fell forwards, everything else fading away...

...

I blinked. I was awake. I could feel something on my left cheek, something wet and sticky. I tried to lift my left hand to feel it, but my whole arm felt like lead. I groaned in discomfort as I tried to move my body, but to no avail.

I gazed upwards at the canopy, squinting since the light from the sun glared down on me through the leaves. My head was raised slightly and the surface beneath it felt soft. Maybe a root with moss?

With great difficulty, I turned my head sideways. I could hear voices talking. I could see Xera conversing with... was that a little girl. She was dressed in a long coat of dark fur, her purple hair in a ponytail, kept together by a yellow orb. Her eyes were the most unnerving. Sharp yellow, not like the soft golden color of Luna's eyes. These were more similar to Sceptile's.

She appeared to sniff the air, then grinned, sharp teeth in plain view. She said something, then pointed to me. Xera looked over at me and almost fell off the root she was sitting on. She hurriedly got up and came over.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"You know," I grunted, trying to shift my body into a more comfortable position. "It almost sounds like you care."

Her face turned a deep shade of red and she clenched her teeth in anger. "Listen her outsider, I am helping you out of the kindness of my heart! That's the only way you and that Moonlighter will be able to escape the territory alive and in one piece!"

"That's the Xera I know," I mumbled and I heard someone laugh, Luna coming in view, holding up two dead Yungoos.

"Don't listen to her crap," she said, tossing them to the little girl, who I reckoned was what, ten? She caught them and began tearing into them, blood dripping from her mouth. "She's only with us because she knows _we're_ the only ones who can get her out alive."

Xera turned away, but I caught a glimpse of her frustrated look. Turning my head to Luna, I had to ask. "Who's that girl?"

"Hm?" Luna looked confused for a second, before looking at the little girl eating raw Yungoos. "Oh, you mean Z. She's Zoroark."

I blinked. Once. Twice. "You're pulling my leg."

In response, she kicked my leg. Hard, but not too hard. "I don't joke."

"Yup," the little girl said, tossing away the Yungoos remains, wiping her bloody mouth. "I'm Zoroark."

She grinned evilly before her body transformed into Zoroark. My body chose to finally move then as I started backwards, hitting the back of my head against the tree.

"Ow," I clutched my head as Zoroark transformed back into the little girl, who went back to eating her Yungoos.

"Yeah," Luna said. "My Zoroark is special. Not only is her fur a different color, but she's able to transform into a human and speak like one. Keeps things lively."

I shook my head, a bit dumbfounded by everything at the moment. Deciding it would be best to ask the more important question, I asked, "What happened to me."

"It seems like Sceptile nicked you with a slow acting poison," Luna said. "Probably in case he didn't manage to kill you. Luckily Xera was able to find the plant to counteract it's effects. She saved your life."

I saw Xera smile out of the corner of my eye. Great, now I owed her.

"We also had to find a secluded spot where we wouldn't likely be found," Luna said.

I looked around my surroundings again. Around us, the ground sloped upwards, trees on all side, providing perfect cover.

"They're out there," Zoroark, or Z, said. "I sensed a couple of them trying to hunt us earlier."

Luna nodded. "The Jungle Tribe might've caught wind we escaped Sceptile. And thankfully we haven't seen him since the ruins."

"Did he die?" I asked hopefully, sitting upright.

"Doubt it," Xera responded. "He's tough to kill."

Just then, Yanmega and Grovyle appeared, coming down the hill in front of us. Yanmega buzzed something and Z nodded.

"He said they're getting closer," she said. "We better get going."

Luna nodded. "Let's try to find a cave for the night. That way I can cook up these spare Yungoos."

She helped me to my feet and I grabbed my spear, my other stuff still on me. I had to lean on Luna for support up the hill since I felt shaky on my feet. I felt nervous leaning on her like this, so I was thankfully able to walk on my own when we got up the hill.

"Which way's safest?" Xera asked once she joined us, Dewpider on her shoulder.

Grovyle said something as he peered around us.

"Straight," Z translated. "It's also towards the Branching River that way as well."

"Good," Luna said. "We need to get to the Hall of Giants as soon as possible."

"Giants," I murmured. "Wait, are you talking about that passage from the prophecy? _Following the path of giants_?"

She nodded. "I know where it is. Good thing too, because that's where we need to go according to that passage. Now come on."

She took off at a run, Z transforming back into a Zoroark, running after her. My legs still felt a little stiff, but I loosened them by running after the two of them, Yanmega flying above me. I looked at his wings and realized that some parts were missing. He was still able to fly quite well, but I wasn't sure he could handle carrying a person on his back now.

I gritted my teeth. I seemed to be doing a lot of running lately. Aside everything else, at least I would be in perfect shape. Then, I heard a swooshing noise and an arrow flew past my head and stuck itself in a tree.

"Crap," I lost my balance and tripped over my feet. I fell on the ground, groaning. I turned back around to see Yanmega launching a Jungle Tribe member into the air. He came crashing down on the forest floor, groaning as he reached for the spear on his back.

Luna came running up, jerked his spear out of his hands and stabbed him in the leg. He yelled out in pain and fury as Luna twisted it.

"Hey," I grabbed at the forest floor, trying to get back up. "Don't!"

Luna left the spear in his leg and helped me up again. "Look, we don't have a lot of time. Be thankful I didn't kill him."

She made sure to grasp my hand tightly and pull me along with her, Yanmega following us. Z was in the lead now, sniffing the air. Then she bolted off to the left slightly and we followed. I was still being half pulled by Luna, so I yanked my hand free. I didn't look at her as we ran.

_"Why,"_ I thought. _"Why does it sicken me when I think of her stabbing another person? I'm totally fine when I think of Sceptile dying, right?"_

I clenched my teeth. No, even then, I didn't want to think of seeing him dead. At least, not in person. _"But Yanmega, Dewpider, I guess Grovyle and Z, I don't want them to die. Not like... not like..."_

"Ryan," I whispered beneath my breath and my resolve hardened. I didn't want anyone else to die. Not if I had anything to do about it. _"I promise, no matter what, no one else is going to die. I made you a promise Ryan. A promise to survive. But that extends to those around me. Luna, Xera, the Pokemon alongside us. I won't let you die. If I am to survive, you all with survive along with me, no matter where this road leads us to."_

Z changed directions once more, this time at a sharp right degree turn. I had to jump over a small pile of rocks and kept running. I was growing tired. My lungs hurt. Luckily, or unluckily, it looked as if our run was coming to an end.

I slowed to a halt, my hands on my knees. "Look, we're trying to hide right? So why are we at a dead end?"

We had come to a cliff face, the trees around us reaching higher than even the cliff. Vines snaked their way down and moss covered most of the rocks. A nice view, but still a dead end.

Xera glared at Z. "Look here. You call this a place to hide."

Z snorted and looked amused. Meanwhile, Luna had walked up to the cliff face and felt along the vines and moss, then smiled.

"Here," she said, pushing her hand forwards, moving a set of vines. If not for that, I would never had seen the cave entrance.

Luna turned to smirk back at us, her golden eyes glowing as they had earlier when we were at the Forbidden Village. "We're good to go."

I was the last to enter, but before I did, I turned back to the jungle. I could see the sun setting through the leaves, the light dimming. How long had I been on this island? I was pretty sure it was getting close to two weeks if it hadn't already passed that. That would mean it was getting closer to Fall. I had no idea what the seasons would be like here, but I hoped it didn't get extremely cold in the winter.

"Hey," I heard Luna call from inside. "You coming in or what?"

I nodded, still staring at the sky beyond the tree. "Yeah, I'm coming."

I turned and made my way into the cave, the light barely filtering in behind me.

**Not much really happened this chapter. Eh, things should pick up again next chapter. Till then. Toodles**


	23. Chapter 22: Into the Hive

I awoke to the sound of rustling vines. I was instantly alert, adrenaline already pounding through me, but it was only Z. She slunk across the cave, a dead Deerling in her jaws. Her yellow eyes spotted mine in the darkness and she came over. She transformed back into the little girl, her purple ponytail bouncing slightly. She tore a back leg of the Pokemon and began chewing animatedly.

I turned my head away, feeling queasy. "Please don't eat that in front of me will you."

"Hm," she looked my way, then swallowed. "What, you want some?"

I shuddered. "No thanks."

She shrugged. "Suit yourself."

After a minute listening to her chew, I asked, "So, what exactly are you?"

She swallowed. "Zoroark."

"Yeah," I said. "But, Zoroarks can't speak human. No Pokemon can speak with humans with our language. I guess Psychic types can, but that's telepathy."

"Oh," she wiped blood off her mouth, showing me pointed teeth. "You wanna know why I can communicate with you. Well, I say it's a curse."

"A curse?" I asked.

She nodded, eyes full of malice. "Ah, that stupid deity. When I see her again I'm going to rip her throat out."

I edged away from her. Seeing a little girl wanting to commit murder, that was scary.

"You see human," she went on. "I was a special Zoroark. I was born with a curse, a different one I guess. I was unable to transform into anything. A plain old Zorua. Yet I was chosen to be a guardian of the Chief's daughter. Where she goes, I go."

I thought about that, then came upon a realization. "Wait, you were the Nidoqueen weren't you?"

She nodded, then grinned evilly. "Being that Dragonite as well was especially thrilling."

That made sense now.

Z started gnawing on the bone. "Luna hasn't told you about herself has she?"

"She said she was the daughter of the chief of the Moonlit Tribe..." I trailed off, realizing Z had been there when she had said that. "No, I guess she hasn't."

"Then no more about me," she hefted the rest of the Deerling over her shoulder. "When she decides to trust you enough to tell you, that's when I talk."

She transformed back into a Zoroark and went off into a dark corner to eat. I leaned back, wondering once again what secrets this island and its inhabitants held. I wanted to know everything. Perhaps that was selfish of me to think that in a situation like this, but I found that I didn't care.

"Even if I die," I thought. "I would like to die knowing this island's secrets."

I felt myself drift back to sleep as I listened to the faint jungle sounds from outside the cave. Right as sleep came, I sensed something nearing me, but I was already enveloped by darkness.

...

I felt myself being dragged. I groaned as my head hit something hard. I tried to lift my head, but found that there was some sort of sticky resistance. I opened my eyes and found myself in an almost completely dark tunnel. The only light source was from faint glowing moss and fungi along the stone walls. I cast my eyes downwards to see my body and part of my head wrapped in tight webs. I tried to move again, but once more, couldn't. I tried to get my eyes to focus more as I could make out a shape moving me.

I felt my body jump as it hit another rock and I could briefly make out the red-striped body of what I assumed to be a Bug type. I looked to my right as best as I could to see two more bodies bound in webs getting dragged. I looked to my left but only saw the cave wall. Looking right again, I could faintly make out the Pokemon dragging the two bodies. Both had black bodies with red stripes with six red feet. It had four eyes, two on its side and two on top of its head. Its jaws were clicking against each other while it dragged the body with its behind. It reminded me of a Durant because of its body shape, but I was certain it wasn't one nor a type of regional variant Pokemon found in Galar or Alola.

Despite my studies of Pokemon, I don't think I remembered this one. Despite the situation, my eyes widened. Perhaps they were native Pokemon? Indeed, this would be a fantastical discovery.

Something crawled by dragging a weird shaped body. My eyes widened as I recognized the shape of Yanmega as he was dragged by a thicker looking Bug type. It had bushy yellow and brown fur behind its head ending before it reached its abdomen. Its antenna were bent forwards, the tips yellow. Overall, its body was an electric yellow and it slightly glowed, lighting up the tunnel even more. Once again, I didn't recognize this Pokemon.

After what seemed like forever of being dragged, we came into a cavern. The surrounding stone had changed to a beige color and looked ancient. Tunnel entrances were all around us, where I saw more of the same Bug Pokemon crawling about, including a new one that had blue lumps all over its body.

My body was lumped against one wall, other bodies covered in web dumped around me, Yanmega's getting placed above my head.

When all the Bugs were gone, I whispered, "Hello? Luna? Xera?"

A body shifted to my right. "Here."

Luna. Alright.

Another shift somewhere to my left. "Damn bugs. Never seen this kind before."

Xera. Okay, now what about all the Pokemon?

"Are all the Pokemon here?" I asked.

"Grovyle."

"Dew!"

"Yan!"

"Where's Z?" I asked in Luna's direction.

"Not here," she sighed. "Might've transformed into one of the bugs."

"So what are they?" I asked. "Are they natives?"

"Didn't you just hear me!?" Xera snapped. "I already said I haven't seen them before!"

"Ignore her," Luna said, shifting. "But I've never seen this kind before either. Haven't you seen a lot of different Pokemon wherever you came from?"

I tried to nod, but remembered I couldn't in this position. "Yeah, but I don't remember reading about these. Maybe I have, but I just don't remember. I've read about a lot of Pokemon, but the books about Bug types were almost always gone wherever I looked. Stupid Bug Catchers."

"Well, we need to find a way out of these binds," Luna said. "We can worry about the Bugs after we're free. Z's probably biding her time, but I'm not willing to wait."

"You don't trust her?" I asked.

Luna laughed. "Trust, sure. Want to, not really."

That sentence just made me more curious on their relationship. I heard some moving and grunting until finally, a large ripping noise.

"Oh thank the Night," I saw her stretch out of the corner of my eye, holding her knife. Must've kept it hidden on her. "That feels good."

"Yeah yeah," Xera said impatiently. "Now hurry it up will you!"

Needless to say, she was the last to get free. I helped Yanmega get his bearings as Xera was finally set free. I checked Yanmega's wings and frowned. Earlier they had been chipped away at by Sceptile, and now they had been bent into one position for a while.

Luna came over. "That doesn't look good."

I nodded. "Are you able to fly Yanmega?"

He fluttered his wings, lifting a few feet into the air, but he looked like he was struggling with even that.

I put a hand on his back and pressed him gently back on the ground. "Don't push yourself, alright?"

He rubbed his head against my chest. "Yan."

Luna looked at him with pity. "You know it would be best to leave him behind."

"No," I said firmly.

She sighed. "Come on Liam. If he can barely fly, that'll slow us down, a lot."

"I said no," I said, glaring at her. "We can't leave him."

"Let it go," Xera advised from where she was helping Dewpider onto her shoulder. "I don't know if you could tell, but he's one stubborn kid."

Luna just walked away towards one of the many tunnels and asked, "Which way did they bring us in?"

Silence, then I heard Xera curse.

"Thought so," I heard Luna sigh. "And we have none of our weapons with us. Any of the Pokemon know?"

They looked just as confused, even Grovyle.

"Well," Luna gestured down the tunnel she was standing in front of. "This is my best guess. If you all have any objections, please keep them to yourselves. I don't care for petty arguments against my judgement."

"She's full of herself ain't she," I heard Xera mutter as she passed by and I couldn't help but nod. However, I would have no idea where to go, so I was glad she was taking the lead. The only thing that could make all of this worse was if I led the way and ended up leading us to our deaths. Better if someone else did it.

I walked in the back, Yanmega in front of me, walking on his six legs. He looked tired and I wish I could help him more. Despite his slowness, we were going slow for a whole different reason. We were on guard for the mysterious Bug types.

Suddenly, two of the red striped ones turned into our tunnel and stopped as they saw us. Their antennas quivered as they glanced at each other, then crouched, their abdomens pointed towards us, the spinneret shaking slightly.

"Whatever comes out of that," Xera began backing up. "We don't want to know."

Jets of flames began shooting from the two Bug types, but Dewpider managed to stop them with a stream of bubbles.

"Back," Luna said, backing up quickly. "Now!"

I scooped up Yanmega in my arms and began running down the way we came. I felt the tunnel warming up, which couldn't be a good things.

"Damn," Xera cursed. "They're probably patrolling. They'll likely report back to their queen."

"Queen!?" I yelled, alarmed.

We made our way back into the cavern where we were bound, then ran down a different tunnel.

"Yeah," Luna went on for Xera. "This has to be a hive of some sorts. It would be natural for there to be a queen. And we're probably the food."

"That makes me feel much better," I said, then heard Yanmega cry in distress. "Okay, we both don't feel better!"

After rounding more turns, we could still see glimpses of light from fire behind us, showing they hadn't let up. Then we ran into a large cavern. Very large. It was wide and tall, hexagonal shapes lining the walls and ceiling, everything yellow. Pasty goo dripped from many of them, the Bug types working to harvest it.

Then we were surrounded. A line of fiery bugs behind us and the yellow ones in front, electricity sparking off their antennas.

"Not good," I said, holding Yanmega closer. For a Bug type, he was really heavy, but I wasn't about to let him down.

Luna curled her lip, brandishing her knife. "Why aren't they attacking now?"

It was true. The bugs were just, standing there, seemingly waiting. But for what?

Xera cursed. "I know where we are."

"Do tell," Luna said through gritted teeth.

"I had almost completely forgotten about this place," Xera went on. "This hive is the home to Beedrills. They were nearly impossible to get rid off, so the tribe just let them be."

"But there aren't any Beedrills," Luna said.

"I guess they were finally driven out," Xera said, glancing around anxiously. "Or wiped out."

"So what you're saying is," I looked at all the bugs. "That these are an invasive species?"

"Yeah," Xera shrugged. "Sure."

I gulped. "Okay, I remember what they are now."

Luna and Xera whirled to face me, forgetting about the bugs.

"Speak," Luna said fiercely. "Now."

"These are Firokes and Harylects," I said. "The ones with bubbles on their backs are Sponarees. They generally work together as a force to overtake other Bug type inhabitants. They're mostly found in Tandor."

"Okay," Xera looked annoyed. "Why remember now?"

"Because of what you confirmed for me," I said. "They're an invasive species, usually going after Beedrills, killing their queens. I read a book about it a long time ago."

My face must've startled them as they backed away from me, my eyes wide. "And after they kill off the colony, they implement their own queen."

The ground began to shake, a tunnel fifty meters away shaking more than the rest.

"Commonly referred to as the Insect Queen," my voice shook. "It wields the powers of the three elements."

Something burst from the tunnel and all the bug types formed two lines, creating a path from it to us. It's body was like that of a huge worm with six legs, the two in front yellow, the middle ones blue, and the ones behind red. Similarly, yellow, blue, and red fur lined its back, its head a Firoke's, furry red and yellow antennas atop it. It gave a piercing screech, eyes set on us.

"Holding power equal to that of Legendary Pokemon," I went on, both terrified and amazed by the sight in front of me. "The Seikamater."

**DISCLAIMER: THESE NEW POKEMON ARE OF NOT MY DESIGN! THEY WERE CREATED AS FAKEMON FOR THE FANGAME KNOWN AS POKEMON: URANIUM!**

**Phew, got that out of the way. Anyway, I enjoyed playing Pokemon Uranium and thought, you know what, I'm already writing fanfiction, so why not add some fakemon from some of the fangames. Of course, no credit to me on their design and lore. Credit goes to everyone who helped make that game, which didn't include me. Anyway, it's a great game and if you love Pokemon, it's a great game to download and play. That's all. Toodles**


	24. Chapter 23: Queen Bee

"We're so dead," I said, shaking as the Seikamater slithered over, making a fast clicking sound with her jaws.

The army of bugs around us backed up, creating a large circle around us, with the Seikamater looming over us. The bugs bowed to their queen, who's shadow drifted over us.

She eyed Yanmega and Dewpider, who began shaking. Yanmega's eyes began shifting, before he launched himself out of my arms. He landed on the ground and bowed to the Seikamater, which Dewpider did the same.

"You guys," I breathed, then glanced up at the Seikamater's eyes, which glowed a fiery red.

I felt Luna grab my arm. "Get ready to move."

"What?" I spun my head to look at her. "But, we can't!"

A burst of fire erupted to our side, sending Firokes and Harylects flying. Luna tugged me and I was caught off balance, still staring at Yanmega, who didn't react, still bowing to the queen.

"YANMEGA!" I yelled, but Luna managed to drag me to the nearest tunnel, where a Firoke scuttled up to us, transforming into Zoroark. She snatched me up in her arms and ran after Luna and Xera.

"Let me go!" I demanded, pounding against Z's furry chest. "Let me do dammit!"

She snarled, shutting me up. She sped up, running past both Luna and Xera and leading us down several tunnels, before coming to a stop in the middle of one.

"Why'd we stop?" Xera asked, panting for breath.

Z dropped me on the ground, knocking the breath out of me. She punched a certain part of the wall, busting it open to reveal a hidden tunnel that seemed to lead to a hidden chamber.

As she led the way on all fours, Luna helped me up. "Just keep moving."

I didn't have a say in the matter at all, so I could only walk behind Z as we made our way into the large cavern. The sound of buzzing reached my ears and and something whizzed overhead into the tunnel. I heard Xera give a gasp of surprise and I stared in amazement. The cavern was filled with Beedrills, buzzing about. There were a couple honeycombs scattered along the wall, either containing drooping honey or Kakunas. Combees drifted in and out of the honeycombs, gathering the honey.

"Unbelievable," Luna murmured. "They managed to stay hidden from the Seikamater and all the other bugs for who knows how long."

Several Beedrills hovered over to us, eyeing us. Z transformed into a Beedrill and began communicating through buzzing. After a minute, they flew away to help repair the hole in the wall behind us as Z transformed back into her human form.

"They're fine with us being here," Z's grin seemed feral. "However, not that it'll do us much good. We're trapped here either way."

"We need to go back," I said, turning back towards the tunnel. "We have to save him."

Luna swung her leg, knocking me off my feet. I landed on the ground, wincing in pain.

"Good luck with that," she said drily. "You wouldn't even be able to beat me in a fight in your advantage. What chance do you have against a creature like that?"

"It doesn't matter," I shouted, the buzzing in the cavern coming to a stop, the eyes of all the Beedrills and Kakunas on us. "I just can't leave him there."

Luna kneeled down next to me, gripping the front of my shirt, eyes cold. "Listen and listen well, Liam. I can tell that you lost someone dear to you."

I gripped my hand and she shook me slightly. "I know you don't want to lose anyone else close to you, but loss is part of life, especially here on this island. Besides, he's as good as gone now, him and Dewpider."

Xera hauled Luna up. "I don't like that I have to say this, but I'm with Liam on this one. I won't abandon any forest Pokemon. Never have, never will. Especially Dewpider."

Luna just sighed and walked away. As she went, I heard her mutter, "Damn fools."

"Thanks," I said quietly, not getting up.

Xera glared at me. "Don't think I did this for you, outsider. Your selfishness is enough to want me to make you a sacrifice to that creature, Sieka or whatever you call it."

"Selfishness," I said, getting uncharacteristically angry. "I want to save my friend. How is that any different then what you want to do."

"Unlike you," she said coldly. "I want to save both of them. Your whole reason for going is just to save Yanmega."

I tried to speak, but my voice failed me. She was right. I had been so hung up about wanting to save Yanmega, I had totally forgotten about Dewpider.

Xera rolled her eyes at me. "Get up outsider. Despite your selfish intents, I'll still need your help rescuing them. Grovyle is strong, but he's not that good against bugs."

Grovyle eyed me, then turned his back on me. Some things never change.

I got up, dusting myself off. "I wish I had my spear."

Xera nodded thoughtfully, before walking over to a mound of stones and dirt, where Beedrill limbs stuck out of.

I felt sick. "What is that?"

"A grave most likely," Xera said, digging through it, before she pulled out a Beedrill stinger. She gripped its smooth sides, swinging it experimentally. "It'll have to do."

She tossed it to me and I barely caught it. It was pretty light, lighter than my spear. But I would need to be careful when using it lest it slip out of my grip.

I glanced at the passing Beedrills warily, but it seemed like they didn't care we were handling the dead parts of their brothers and sisters.

I looked at Luna who was busy staring at the various honeycombs. She had her back to us and I almost spoke, but I held back my words. She wouldn't help us. We were on our own now. Z waved at me and grinned, before transforming back into a Zoroark and padding up to Luna's side.

"C'mon," Xera said, heading back to the tunnel. We got to the spot where we broke in to find it sealed shut with rocks and a thick goo that looked like the honey, but was obviously more sticky. Several Beedrills buzzed behind us, but Xera ignored them as she broke through the wall with the stinger.

We stepped through, Grovyle finishing up talking to the Bug types. He came through and the Beedrills began sealing up the wall once more.

"Grovyle," Xera said, glancing left and right down the tunnel. "Lead us back to the main cavern where that thing was."

"Grovyle," he nodded and led the way down the dark tunnel. I lifted my hand to touch one of the glowing fungi on the wall and was surprised to find it was cold.

"Interesting," I murmured. "This island sure has weird fungi."

After a while of walking with no encounters with the bugs, we could see the tunnel end. We didn't venture beyond that point, but stuck our head out. To our right, we could see Sponarees climbing up the sides of the honeycomb wall, gathering the thick honey. Firokes were patrolling along the walls and ceiling, not to mention the floor. We had to duck back inside the tunnel to remain hidden.

"That was close," I breathed.

Xera nodded and looked back out. "Oh, that's disgusting."

"What?" I asked and poked my head out again. I followed her gaze and stared in fascination. The Seikamater was probably 100 meters away, surrounded by an army of Firokes, Harylects, and Sponarees. Her long body was stretched out, Sponarees collecting the eggs she was pushing out.

"Woah," I breathed. "I don't think anything like this has been documented. Ever."

"That's great and all," Xera still looked disgusted. "But we still need to find Yanmega and Dewpider. Just standing here and watching this isn't going to help us."

"While I agree with that," I said, hefting my stinger. "This still helps us. While the Seikamater is giving birth, we won't have to deal with her."

"Grovyle," I said. "Are you able to find Yanmega and Dewpider?"

He ignored me and Xera asked, "Are you?"

He nodded and pointed to where the Sponaree were gathering all the eggs. Yanmega and Dewpider were wrapped in webs again, being slathered in honey that was being gathered there as well.

I paled and Xera swore. "They're going to be used as food."

"Not if we can help it," I said, trying not to shake at the idea of angering a thousand bugs.

"We'll need you cause a distraction while we free them," Xera told Grovyle, who nodded. "And don't die, alright?"

He nodded and rushed out of the tunnel, leaves swirling around him, blasting in all directions.

"Go," Xera said as all the bugs in the cavern directed their gaze on the Grass type.

We ran out of the cavern towards the pile of eggs. We ducked behind them as Grovyle leaped into the air, blasting a tornado of leaves below him, scattering Harylects. Firokes began shooting bursts of flames at him, which he mostly dodged, getting singed on the arms when he deflected a couple. Landing back on the ground, the leaves on his arms glowed green, and he sliced through several Sponarees, managing to actually slice off a couple legs.

"Hey," Xera grabbed my attention away from Grovyle. "Don't waste time watching him."

I nodded and we circled around the mound of eggs to where Yanmega and Dewpider were webbed up. Their eyes seemed glazed, still under the Seikamater's spell. We cut them free, getting the thick honey all over us.

"Ugh," I groaned, trying to wipe it off. "Gross."

"This is good," she said, slathering the bottom of her stinger with it. "Doesn't make this as slippery."

"Good thing to," I said as several Sponarees were scuttling towards us.

We were prepared to fend them off, but the ground was ripped up by large roots and slammed into them, trapping them inside a honeycomb. Grovyle stood twenty feet away, looking visibly tired as Harylects surrounded him. They began sparking, before blasting Grovyle with tons of electricity. When it ended, he sank to one knee, smoke rising from him.

"He can't go on any longer," I warned, actually worried for him.

Xera looked stricken. As several dozen Firokes took aim, they stopped. I wondered why, then I heard it. Buzzing. Faint, but growing louder by the second. Several tunnels on the far side of where we were seemed to shake due to the vibrations. Then Beedrills began swarming out of the tunnels, heading for the Seikamater, who screeched at her minions. Amidst all the chaos unfolding before our eyes as the bugs went to war, I failed to noticed Luna coming up to us until she touched my shoulder.

I jumped and she laughed. "Long time no see."

"What's going on?" Xera asked as she held Grovyle, who she had ran and gotten.

"The Beedrills were waiting," Luna said.

"For what?" I asked.

"For a queen," she explained.

...

Luna sighed as she saw Liam, Xera, and Grovyle leave. She just shook her head and watched the Beedrills work, gathering honey and plastering it over a large honeycomb.

"What are they doing?" She asked Z, who was licking honey off her fingers.

She stopped mid-lick, her fangs showing. "Restoring their queen."

Luna nodded. "So they've been waiting for their queen to restore her health. What then? Attack the Seikamater?"

Z shrugged. "Probably. I couldn't get much details out of them. Their language is difficult to speak. You're lucky I'm a Zoroark of many talents."

"Uh huh," Luna rolled her eyes.

"You worried about them?" Z asked.

Luna snorted. "They're fools if they think they can save the Pokemon. The best thing to do is wait here for the queen to regain her strength."

Z nodded. "So, are you worried about them or not?"

Luna shook her head. "Not if we get the queen woken up."

Z grinned. "You want me to help that along?"

Luna shrugged. "Go right ahead."

Z stood, transforming into Dragonite. Her fist sparked with electricity as she flew over and punched the honey slathered honeycomb, shaking the cavern. The hard honey covering the opening cracked, making the Beedrills hum with anger.

"Hurry it up," Luna said. "You might not be able to take them all on."

With a roar, Z punched through the honey wall, revealing a Pokemon inside, covered in thick goop. The Beedrills were about to attack Z, but stopped when the Pokemon inside flashed her eyes red. The wings on her back fluttered to life, the honey dripping off of them.

Z wisely backed off as the Queen hovered out of the honeycomb, eyeing her small army of Beedrills. Then she screeched, her body giving off a green aura. Buzzing filled the cavern as dozens of Beedrills zoomed out of the few honeycombs.

Z transformed back into her human form. "Well, they're ready to go."

Luna nodded as the Beedrills broke through the wall and into the tunnels. "Let's go save the fools."

...

I watched as the Queen soared higher than her army of Beedrills, red eyes set on the Seikamater. "Vespiquen."

She screeched and glowed green, a dozen Beedrills forming a defensive wall in front of her as Firokes fired bursts of fire at her. Many Beedrills fell, but Vespiquen glowed red, and the Beedrills dispersed, attacking the enemy bugs.

Vespiquen flew higher, aiming her abdomen at the Seikamater, who was still laying eggs. Dozens of glowing rocks were fired from Vespiquen and sent crashing into the Seikamater, who screeched in pain. Several of the rocks crashed into the eggs, breaking them instantly.

The Seikamater roared in fury and fired a beam of water straight at Vespiquen, who dodged, the water hitting the ceiling, causing parts of it to break off.

Luna pulled me out of the way as a huge chunk of rock fell where I had just been standing.

"Thanks," I breathed.

"Don't mention it," she said. "Get Yanmega."

I nodded and picked him up in my arms, still unresponsive. Luna was about to head into a tunnel when several Harylects dropped down in front of her, sparking. Then the ground shook as several rocks fell down on them, crushing their bodies. A Nidoqueen lumbered forwards, transforming into Zoroark.

As we all prepared to run into the tunnel, a particularly loud screech stopped us. We all turned around to see six wings unfolding from the Seikamater's back.

"No way she can fly," Xera said.

But she did just that, lifting off into the air, her abdomen hanging beneath her, her massive size dwarfing Vespiquen. Vespiquen lifted her arms, glowing red again. All the Beedrills zoomed past her and attacked the Seikamater as one. With a blast of heat, the Beedrills dropped to the ground, burnt to a crisp. Vespiquen glowed with a ghostly aura, thin purple lines connecting her and the Seikamater, their very destinies intertwining.

Vespiquen began firing glowing stingers from her abdomen, which were merely deflected off of the Seikamater, who blasted Vespiquen with an explosion of fire. The Queen Bee fell to the ground and was instantly swarmed by the enemy bugs. The Seikamater then turned towards us, glowing with energy.

"Oh crap," I said. There was no time to run. Then cuts began appearing along the Seikamater's body. Green blood pulsed out as each cut began emitting a ghostly glow. She screeched in pain as her body was ripped open by an unknown force, splattering the cavern with green blood.

Xera wiped some of it off her face. "What in _Disec_ just happened!?"

"I don't know," Luna said, pulling us down the tunnel, green blood dripping from her long white hair. "But we shouldn't stick around."

Indeed, the Firokes, Harylects, and Sponarees were going crazy now, having lost their queen, blasting the cavern with fire, electricity, and water.

"Where exactly are we running to!?" I yelled.

"Hopefully out of here!" Luna called back.

Suddenly, Yanmega shifted in my arms. I looked down at him and he looked at me.

"Hey," I grinned. "He's okay now!"

"So's Dewpider!" Xera said.

"With the Seikamater dead," Luna said. "The mind control must have lost its control."

I rubbed Yanmega's head, who nuzzled up against my hand. Far up ahead, I could begin to make out a faint light, dimmed by something in its way.

Luna came to a stop. "This is the cave."

I stopped and noticed that the exit was covered by vines. "It is."

"Good," Xera went over to one part of the wall and picked up her bow. "I missed having my weapon."

I walked over to where I had left my stuff and set Yanmega down. I grabbed my waterskin flask and drank the warm stale water greedily. I put my knife on my waist, then grabbed my spear.

"Let's go," Luna said, putting her bow over her shoulder. "I'd rather not stay here any longer."

"Agreed," I said, going ahead of the others, pushing the vines aside and back into the jungle, straight into danger.

**Cliffhangers. You love 'em and hate 'em. Anyway, as I said in LDOC, only another couple chapters are likely going to get released for this before school starts up again for me. Then the next update after that will be uncertain. Looking at my schedule, six of my periods are bound to give me homework almost everyday. And I'm doing Pre-Cal, so yeah. Lots of fun. Anyway, till next time my readers. Toodles**


	25. Chapter 24: Straight into Danger

I stopped as I felt something prick my left shoulder. I looked to see a spear tip pressed against me, a tiny drop of blood forming at the spot. I followed the long wooden shaft up to the man holding it. His long black hair was swept into a ponytail, blue eyes narrowed.

"Hello again Liam," Eric grinned. "Been a while."

I tried to speak, but only uttered a small sound.

"Can't even speak," he sighed. "How pathetic."

Aside from Eric, there were three others with him. Two women with long blonde hair that looked like twins, no signs of mercy in their green eyes. The other was a guy with short messy brown hair, brown eyes surrounded by small scars on his face. All of them held spears, but there was no signs of Pokemon with them.

I heard leaves being shifted and cast my gaze upwards. In a tree near Eric was Shiftry, along with a Carnivine wrapping its vines onto the trunk itself. I heard something above me and cast my eyes further up to see a Swadloon clinging to the rock face above, the Leavanny from the Tribe above her.

"Now," Eric smirked. "I would love to chat, but we were told killing you quickly and efficiently would be best."

As he jabbed forwards, aiming for my heart, my legs were kicked out from beneath me as I fell backwards. Luna grabbed the side of the spear as it slid through empty air, managing to yank it out of Eric's hands, pulling him forwards. She used the butt of the shaft to slam into his chin and he stumbled back.

"Make sure to put that spear to good use," Luna advised me as she stepped out in front of me, twirling the spear, pointing it at the four enemies.

"Above you!" I warned as the Swadloon leaped for her. In the blink of an eye, the Swadloon was tossed aside by Leavanny.

"Leeeavany!" She cried, crossing her leaf cutter arms at the Tribes people.

"Looks like she's willing to fight with us," Xera said, stepping past me. "That's good."

Grovyle and Dewpider followed her, ready to fight as well.

"Looks like I just can't sit and do nothing," I grunted, hauling myself to my feet, lifting my spear, aiming the metal blade at Eric. "Though I'll more than likely get in the way."

"No better teacher than experience," Luna said. "Besides, if you die, don't get us killed in the process."

"Great confidence booster," I muttered.

"If you're all done," Eric rubbed his chin. "I'd love to get to killing you, Moonlighter."

"Bring it Greenie," Luna smirked. "I'll show you the strength of the Moonlit Tribe."

"Heh," Eric narrowed his gaze and snapped his fingers. Shiftry leaped from the tree, leaves glowing as he aimed for Luna. Grovyle shot above her, clashing his leaves against Shiftry's.

Luna rushed forwards, spear thrust towards Eric's chest, but the blonde twins intercepted her attack, thrusting Luna's spear upwards, the tip going over Eric's head. He grinned and yanked his spear back. Luna grinned while whipping out her knife as the twins stepped forwards to shield Eric.

Xera had gone for the guy with the scars, blocking and parrying attacks. Carnivine slinked towards me, mouth open wide. Leavanny knocked him to the side, her arms glowing. His vines shot out wrapping themselves around her as he prepared to bite her head.

I ran forwards, thrusting the spear tip into his mouth, blood spurting from where I struck. His vines unraveled as Leavanny looked at me in thanks. Then she narrowed her eyes and launched herself behind me. I turned to see Eric blocking Leavanny's attack, before slamming her into the moss covered cliff face.

He left her there to fall as he turned his gaze to me, smiling. "You could've lived a peaceful life with the Jungle Tribe you know. Yet you threw it all away to try and kill us all."

"What are you talking about?" I backed up, gripping my spear tighter.

His smile never wavered. "We heard how you tried to kill Cera and Ven. How you and Xera aligned yourself with the Moonlit Tribe. Quite sad really. The Elders had no choice but to sentence you to your death."

"You-" my eyes widened. "No. You planned all of this, didn't you!?"

He pointed his spear at me with one hand. "An outsider such as yourself should have never been accepted as one of us. Now, Liam Walsh, prepare to meet your fate. May the god Disectra have mercy upon your soul."

He lunged forwards, spear aimed for my heart once more, but the spear cracked in half as Zoroark lunged from the cave. The tip flew over my head as Z snarled at Eric, blasting him away with a wave of dark energy.

"Thanks," I breathed, realizing once again how close I came to death.

She just bared her fangs at me before helping Leavanny to her feet.

Eric got up, tossing aside his broken spear. "Stupid creature."

Shiftry landed in front of him, sneering at Z. She just snarled and transformed into Dragonite, fist powering up with electricity.

"Deal with her," Eric told Shiftry before making to move around Zoroark. She went to punch him, but a storm of leaves carried her into the air. Eric ran for me, barehanded.

I took a couple staggering steps backwards as he closed in, so I tried to thrust, but sidestepped and punched me square in the chest. Winded, I stumbled backwards.

He shook his hand. "Not enough to knock you down? Fine then."

Desperate, I swung the spear towards his head, but he ducked, the tip swinging down into the ground.

"Too slow," He practically flew forwards, slamming his fist into my chest again. "And not enough FORCE!"

I fell to the ground, my spear rolling off to the side. I groaned. I wouldn't be surprised if a rib or two was broken.

"Pathetic," Eric sighed. "This wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be."

Hearing a grunt, we both looked to our left to see the guy Xera was fighting stumbled backwards, holding an arm wound tightly. Xera was panting, holding both her spear and her enemy's, one of the tips bathed in blood. Luna had managed to make one of the twins back off with a leg wound, the other panting with a thin cut on her cheek.

"Hmm," Eric grinned. "Seems like your friends are much more capable than you."

"Course we are," Luna said, not looking back, keeping her gaze on her opponent. "He's still a weakling. I've been training my whole life. There's a reason," She ran forwards, dodging an attack, only to swing herself behind the woman and slice both her legs, making her collapse. "I'm the chief's daughter."

Eric narrowed his eyes. "Daughter eh? Now that's interesting."

"That's right," she turned to look at him, golden eyes glowing. "You kill me, you'll have a war on your hands."

"Fine by me," Eric grinned slyly. "You Moonlighters are better off dead. Killing you would be just the thing this island needs."

"DON'T YOU HURT HER!"

"What was tha-" Eric's eyes widened as he lurched backwards, my knife slicing through the air where he had just been.

"Oh," Eric raised an eyebrow at me. "You still have some fight in you."

I was breathing heavily as I gripped the knife tighter. "No one else is going to die! Not if I can help it!"

"You would have to kill me," He said, almost pleased by the idea. "That would be the only way to stop me."

I gritted my teeth and ran forwards, swinging wildly, only for my feet to get knocked off the ground. My head hit the ground hard, my vision blurring. Before I lost consciousness, I saw a spear hit the ground near me as someone rushed forwards. Then I was gone.

**Definitely a much shorter chapter. Sorry about that. I wanted it to end like this and I didn't want to drag it all on unnecessarily. Plus, I kinda want the next chapter to be one thing. You'll see what I mean when I can update this again. Anyway, school's getting ever closer, which means rarer updates. Till next time. Toodles**


	26. Chapter 25: The Worlds We Live in

I drifted in and out of consciousness. At various points I felt myself moving, foliage brushing against my cheeks. I remember briefly waking when I was dropped heavily, only to slip back into darkness once more.

...

I awoke to the crackling of a fire and the sound of a slow river, the night air pleasantly cool. My eyes flickered open to see stars above. To my left I could see embers float up into the air only to fade away. The fire's warmth on my side was greatly relaxing. I placed my hands on the ground to my right, pushing myself up into a sitting position. With only a vague sense of hunger, I looked around. I was in a small clearing, a soft wind blowing between trees. I looked through the jungle on my right and saw the river I was hearing.

Something moved in the corner of my vision, a dark mass. I whirled my head around, but relaxed upon realizing it was only Zoroark. She was curled up near the fire like a bundle of fur. Her eyes opened and met mine. She snorted and closed them again.

My hair felt itchy, so I went to scratch it, only to stop when I felt something hard plastered on my forehead. I pulled my hand away to see a broken bit of hardened green paste. I flicked it away as I heard footsteps behind me.

"You're awake then," Luna came to sit close by, staring at the fire.

"How long have I been out?" I asked, vaguely remembering Eric knocking me unconscious.

"Almost two days," she replied. "We managed to fend Eric off and carry you here across the river."

"River," I said, looking back at it. "The Branching River?"

She nodded. "Yeah. We're officially outside of the Jungle Tribe's territory. We won't be followed since it's taboo to leave their territory."

"Essentially we just committed the biggest taboo in the tribe," Xera said, setting down her spear as she came into the firelight.

"Anything out there?" Luna asked.

Xera shook her head. "We're the only predators out here. Here, I grabbed something for the outsider."

She tossed something to Luna, who in turn passed it to me. It was a orange berry, slightly bumpy, but when I bit into it, the taste was sweet and flavorful.

"Thanks," I said once swallowing.

Xera looked away. "It was nothing."

"What do we do now?" I asked, finishing the food.

"I guess now would be the time to tell you," Luna said. "Remember the prophecy?"

I nodded. "I think so. Through Storm shall he arrive, one who shall upset the balance of nature. Following the path of giants, bet-"

Luna stopped me. "You said it. That's we're were going."

I thought about it for a second, then it clicked, but Xera asked first. "We have to follow the path of giants?"

Luna nodded. "Something like that. What we have to do is get to the Hall of Giants. Luckily I already know where that is."

She turned and pointed in the direction of the Central Mountains. "We'll travel up the river. Once we reach the waterfall, we'll nearly be there."

"Okay," I rubbed my head. "But why?"

"Hm?" Luna looked at me.

"Why do we need to go there?" I asked. "I know there's a prophecy and all, but what's the reason why we need to go?"

"The prophecy is the reason," Luna said. "Look, you're here as the prophecy predicted. You're prophesied to upset the balance of this island. From the moment you arrived here, everything began to change. Whether that's good or bad is undetermined. It's up to you to figure out. Follow the prophecy and things might become clearer."

I sighed. "Fine. Not like I would have anything else to do."

"Besides," I finished the fruit. "I would like to know more about this island. Actually, I want to meet all the other tribes, know this island's history, and know what it means to live here."

Xera sighed. "Well, you're going to get a lot of that since we have no choice but to wander around. At least until I'm able to settle down somewhere. Preferably far away from here."

"What about living with a different tribe?" I suggested, only to hear her snort.

"Only you," Xera glared at me. "An outsider, would suggest that."

"No no," Luna was sharpening her knife with a smooth rock. "I think he has the right idea. You're only with us because we're able to have your back in tough situations. It would be better for all of us if we didn't have an unwilling travel partner along. Join a tribe. Seems like it would suit you."

"What?" Xera gave her a cold glare. "You want me to shack up with you Moonlighters down at the coast?"

"We're not even going that way," Luna remarked. "But by all means, if we end up that way, go right ahead. They might even allow you to take my place as the next Chief."

"You don't want to be chief?" I asked, curious.

Luna shook her head. "Not for me. I'd rather be out here on this island, exploring. As a member of a tribe that sticks close to the coast and hardly goes anywhere else, I like to get out a lot. Where we'll be going is about as far as I've managed to go."

Xera choked on the fruit she had started to eat. "You mean to tell me you snuck through the Jungle Tribe's territory before."

Luna nodded. "Yeah. Not so hard actually."

Xera grumbled to herself, focused on her fruit.

"Okay then," I turned to Luna. "Why exactly do the Tribes not get along with one another?"

Luna shrugged. "There's always been a rivalry between each tribe, nothing new there. But I guess the reason for it being extreme nowadays is because of what happened before. When was it, five years ago?"

Xera nodded from her side of the fire, not looking at us.

"five years ago," fire glinted in Luna's eyes. "Outsiders came to this island."

I sat up straighter. "So I wasn't the first?"

She nodded. "Not by a long shot. From what I heard, the first group came here in a big boat, half starved to death. The tribes were cautious, but also very curious. They nourished them back to health, and in return, they seemed happy to help us. They even became part of our tribes for a time. Until several months later, more ships arrived. Bigger and filled with weapons that spat fire."

I already knew where this was going. I heard too many stories from my brother.

"They began slaughtering the tribes," Luna said, voice void of emotion. "Eventually they offered us a peace treaty. The Moonlit Tribe, my tribe, took their offer. The other tribes refused. They fought back to repel them and the island joined them in their fight. People and Pokemon rose as one to fight back, it was almost amazing to see."

"Much devastation was brought to this island," Luna said. "So much that the Savage Tribe of the North closed off their borders. The rest of the tribes decided it might be a good idea to work together from then on once they managed to drive off the invaders. In the end, the tribes fought one another for leadership until it was decided that we should all stay as our own tribes."

"This explains the bunker I found when I first arrived," I muttered, thinking of where I found the rifle. "But why does the island show almost no signs of this encounter aside from the ruined bunker."

Luna was about to speak, bu Xera looked up. "Venusaur's Blessing."

"What she means," Luna waved her off. "Is that one day we all woke up and the island had mostly restored itself. Why or how, we don't know. The Jungle Tribe's convinced that it means Venusaur is still returning. I'm willing to find out what caused it myself. If it was Venusaur, why did it only choose to help then?"

Xera shrugged. "The wills of our god is not for us to question."

Luna sighed. "You and your gods. Us 'Moonlighters' care only for the telling of the moon and the stars."

I leaned forwards. "Fascinating. So you're telling me you're tribe doesn't believe in a god!?"

"No," Luna said, picking at the fire with a stick. "We know they're there, but that doesn't mean we believe they hold our fates. That's already been decided by the moon and stars."

She looked at me. "Why are you so interested anyway?"

I rubbed the back of my head, grinning. "I can't help but be interested. I always wanted to explore, but a lot of the world already has been uncovered. Even the New World was discovered not too long ago."

"New World?" Luna tilted her head quizzically.

I nodded. "Where I come from is dubbed, the 'Old World'. Huge continents with many regions far and wide. Many more species of Pokemon, some that haven't even been documented yet. So many people, millions upon millions! This island we're on, is just one small place among so many others."

I held out my arms. "This island is part of what we call the 'New World'. The Gymouth Colony was founded much farther up North from here, followed by others such as the Unova Colony. Much of the area around this place has been discovered and is slowly being modernized to today's standards. However, this place has managed to stay free from the world as well as hidden. How it has I want to know. You said the Island helped fend off the invaders? Well, that's the one part I want to know of more."

Luna just stared at me before chuckling. "You really are just a curious individual aren't you? I already know you're no fighter. So this makes sense."

"Heh," I laughed.

"Ugh," Xera had laid down and now had her back to us. "Can you just go to sleep already?"

I stood. "I'm gonna go relieve myself. I'll be back."

I wandered in the opposite direction of the the Branching River and hid behind a couple bushes. I slid down the length of a tree, holding my head in my hands. Their story of what had happened here to this island, I knew who probably had a hand in it. These islanders banded together after the invasion, which doesn't really happen unless they all have a language they could communicate with each other. Where else could this language have come from but the invaders? The same language I spoke, English?

_"That means,"_ my hands were shaking. It made perfect sense. We were the ones who had conquered much of the New World after all. _"That means the ones who came here and attempted to invade, were my people. Galar."_

...

"Upon the word of our god, Visentra, you may leave the Tribe's territory in order to insure punishment on those who commited grave sins to our Tribe."

"Thank you, Elders," Eric continued to kneel. "I will do as Visentra wishes."

"Take this."

Eric lifted his head slightly to see the handle of a sword. He took it and slid it out of the scabbard slightly.

"I thought these were all discarded," he breathed.

"No," the Elder said. "We have kept them. We may not use them, but they have their uses."

Eric nodded and turned to leave, grinning to himself. _"It's only fitting, to kill the outsider with a weapon made by his own people."_

**Okay, this is the last update for this book until further notice. School starts again tomorrow and I'll barely have time to write this I'm assuming. But whenever I have the chance, I'll be working on this as well as LDOC. After all, this book only has 5 chapters left. I'll be taking a break from this series when this book is finished and focus a little more on LDOC. Of course, the break won't be too long, maybe about a month. Anyway, I hope to update this again as soon as possible and I hope you all look forwards to it. And wish me luck for this year of High School. Toodles**


	27. Chapter 26: Another Burden

My eyes fluttered open to see Leavanny staring down at me.

"Uh," I blinked away my drowsiness. "Hi?"

"Leavaaaanny," she cried, poking me in the side.

"What are you doing here?" I wondered.

"After helping us," Luna was skinning something with her knife. "She decided to join us. Well, by us, I mean you."

I smiled at the Grass type. "That so Leavanny?"

She nodded, smiling. Yanmega buzzed nearby where he was munching on a pile of colorful berries along with Dewpider and Grovyle. Zoroark was nowhere to be seen, nor was Xera.

"Where are the others?" I asked Luna.

"Z's off hunting," Luna put the dead Pokemon on the fire to cook it. "And Xera went with her. Somehow, they seem to get along."

The way she said it made it sound as if she and Zoroark didn't. I was tempted to ask, but prying into her life was probably a bad idea for my health. I remembered what Zoroark had told me back in the cave. Luna would be the one to tell me about herself. Instead, I asked a safer question.

"Will we be leaving when they get back?" I asked, looking for my stuff.

"Once we eat," Luna nodded. "Unless you want to travel on an empty stomach. Oh, and your stuff is over by that tree."

I nodded and went over to the tree. My spear lay against the trunk, but as I went to grab it, I noticed a crack where I tended to hold it with my hands. I grasped it tenderly, but still heard a slight crack. Sighing, I looked around the area we were in. There were only twigs in this clearing, so I moved into the treeline. I searched for a good ten minutes, but didn't find a stick that would be a good spear.

"Dang," I muttered, heading back to my stuff. At least I still had a knife. I clipped that to my pants and stuffed the flint and steel into separate pockets. I grabbed the copper wiring, then looked at the wiring I had tied around my spear. Too bad it wouldn't help fix it. I stuffed the item into my pocket, then seized my flask. I headed over to the river, filling it with water. I drank, thirsty as hell.

Once I got back to the fire, I could smell the cooking meat. Just then, Xera and Zoroark got back. Xera was holding a couple large eggs in her left arm, and a long stick in her right hand. Zoroark was pulling a Doduo by the neck and flung it near the fire.

"Catch, Outsider," Xera said, tossing me the stick.

I dropped my flask and caught the stick with both hands. It was smooth on some part, but rough on others. But once carved, it would be a perfect replacement.

"Thanks," I said.

Xera snorted. "I noticed yours was breaking. We can't have you not fighting."

I nodded, hoping that was her way of making sure I would be safe, though I didn't get my hopes up. I went back the tree where my stuff had been and leaned back against it once sitting. I took my knife and got to work. It took a while, but once done, I felt satisfied. I took the bayonet off my old spear and used the old copper wiring to wrap it around the new spear.

"You all done over there?" Luna asked. "The food's been done for a while now. You're going to have to eat on the way."

I nodded and got up. "Alright."

They were already ready to go, bows and quivers behind their backs, spears in their hands. Wishing I had a way to carry my spear without holding it, I grasped it with my right hand and grabbed some slightly cold meat with my left. I ran after them and we began our trek up the riverbank.

"What if anyone from the tribe sees us?" I asked, worried. "From the opposite bank?"

"We already escaped," Xera said. "They can't do anything now and risk punishment."

I nodded, but I still felt uneasy. Yanmega buzzed next to me, flying at waist high. His wings still looked frayed, but at least he could still use them. Dewpider clung to Xera's back as Grovyle walked alongside Luna. Zoroark walked ahead all of us while Leavanny walked on my left. I reflected back to when it had just been me, alone on that beach, alone in the caves, alone in the forest. I had been surviving for myself and I had no one to help me.

"But now," I thought, smiling to myself. "Now I'm no longer alone. I have friends to help me survive. And in turn, I'll help them. Luna wants me to follow the prophecy with her and Xera is now an outcast from her tribe. I'll help her find a place to call home and go along with Luna as well. It's the least I can do for what they've done to help me."

"Plus," I couldn't help but feel thrilled. "I'll be able to see more of this unique island and its inhabitants."

As I walked, pebbles skittered from beneath my feet and into the rushing river. It only seemed to get wilder the farther up we went.

"How long until we reach the waterfall?" I asked.

"A day," Luna said. "Maybe more. We'll be reaching a junction in the river soon, so we'll need to find a way to cross it."

Wondering why we would have to cross, I trudged along after them as we headed away from the riverbank.

...

"You said we need to cross," I looked at the empty riverbed that curved in front of us. "Shouldn't be too hard."

"That's strange?" Luna looked around. "This connects the river closest to the Jungle Tribe with the middle river. It shouldn't be blocked."

I felt something bump against my leg and looked down. A brown poofball stared back up at me, sitting on its rump from having knocked itself against me.

"A Bidoof," I said, kneeling to rub his head. He leaned his head against my palm, nuzzling it.

"Bidoof?" Luna frowned. "If there's Bibarels around as well, that would explain why there would be a blockage. They must've dammed up the river where it flows into the middle."

"That's good for us," I said, making to climb down into the riverbed five feet below. "It'll be easier to cross."

Zoroark weaved her way to block me, growling.

I backed up instantly, eyes wide. "What!?"

She transformed into the little girl, fangs bared. "Maybe you like walking across mud, but some of us would rather not have to clean up afterwards! It takes forever to get it out and it tasted terrible!"

"She's right," Xera said. "The riverbed is like twenty meters across. It'll be easier to cross the dam built by the Bibarels."

Luna nodded. "They're both right. Z, ask the Bidoof if he can take us to the dam. Bibarels can be territorial. Would be better if we had an escort."

Transforming back, Zoroark got close to Bidoof, growling something. Completely unperturbed by the Dark type, the Bidoof nodded and began heading up the riverbank to the right. After a minute, a huge dam came into view, Bibarels hard at work. Several Bidoof were around, but they were mostly just goofing off.

The dam itself was built with huge logs and branches, wedged together so perfectly, it didn't shake at all with the river raging to its left. It stretched from one bank to another, wide enough on top to have two people stand side by side. Some of the Bibarels noticed us and came forwards. Bidoof ran to meet them and seemed to speak on our behalf. Still, we were regarded with caution, me and Luna most of all. They seemed to like Xera.

"It's because you two are different," Xera said as she rubbed a Bibarel's head. "Luna is a Moonlighter, so naturally there's something off about her. You, Liam, you're an outsider. It's only natural they feel cautious towards you."

I should've felt encouraged by her words, but I couldn't. Not with all the Bibarel's glaring at me with hostility. This wasn't needless caution. This was bred from experience. It wasn't hard to imagine these Pokemon being here when the other Galarians came here. They hated me because I was kin to the one's who wrecked devastation on this island. And I didn't blame them.

Xera patted the side of the dam. "Let's get going."

She began hauling herself onto the dam while the Bibarels began gathering to watch. Zoroark climbed over next, followed by Dewpider and Grovyle. I waited as Luna finished, then climbed up, Leavanny and Yanmega already over on the other side. I was halfway across the dam, when I looked back. The Bibarels were right behind me, their brown fur blocking the top of the dam. Making sure everyone else was out of earshot, I knelt.

I met their small eyes. "Look, I know what my people have done, to you, to this island. I promise, I am not like them. I will do nothing to endanger this island."

I gulped. "I'll fight to protect this island. I will right the wrong my people have done. It's the least I can do."

The Bibarels looked at one another, then bared their teeth at me. They began snapping at me, eyes full of rage. I nearly fell off the dam rushing to my feet, running to the other side. The Bibarels didn't go farther than the edge of the dam, glaring at my retreating form.

"What did you say to them?" Xera asked accusingly.

"Nothing," I muttered, pushing past her.

As we walked, I wondered why I said what I said. Could I really protect this island? Could I really fix all what my people have done to this island.

With the burden of my people's sins upon my shoulders, I set my gaze on the path ahead of me, wondering if I would ever be of any use, to anyone, much less this island.

**Been a couple weeks since my last update. I'll try and find time to write more, but considering how much homework I get, it's unlikely. Anyway, four more chapters to go. I hope you all have been enjoying this book so far. Until next time. Toodles**


	28. Chapter 27: Beneath the Waterfall

"Hurry it up will you!?"

"Yeah yeah," I grunted, burdened by the heavy load of thick branches. "I'm coming."

I dumped the wood next to Xera and Luna, who were tying up separate rafts with vines. After travelling for a while after crossing the dam built by the Bibarels, we came across another section of the river blocking our path. We were essentially on an island, three parts of the Branching River trapping us in.

"This will be especially treacherous," Luna had said. "This river section tends to be the wilder part. If you're not careful, you'll get pushed down into the rocks."

"Why don't we just have Z turn into a Dragonite or something and carry us across?" I suggested, wiping my hands down on my pants.

"Because," Z transformed, poking me in the chest. "Transforming into Pokemon so much consumes a lot of my energy. I'd rather not spend it on being your Mudbray."

"But what about when you transform into a human?" Xera asked curiously. "Wouldn't that burn up your energy as well?"

"Normally yes," Z nodded. "But my transforming into a human doesn't seem to waste any."

I remembered when she had talked to me back in the cave. How she wasn't able to transform until she was given the ability to.

_"By a deity if I remember correctly,"_ I thought, going back into the forest to collect more fallen branches and sticks. _"Maybe that has something to do with her transformation ability."_

"So," I said, depositing more wood. "If she won't be able to transform, how will we get across the river?"

"We'll have Z convince the river Pokemon to pull us," Luna said. "We've done it before, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Wasn't transforming an issue though," I asked. "She'll need to communicate with them somehow."

"The smaller Pokemon I turn into," Z gave me a cold look. "The less energy I end up using. Now shut up about me. Just listen to what we tell you."

I sighed. Vicious as always.

After a while, the rafts were completed.

"These should hold," Luna said, testing one.

"My turn then," Z said, jumping into the air, transforming into a Gorebyss on the way down. She splashed into the roaring river, her entrance unnoticed by the water. Several minutes passed by before she resurfaced, leaping out of the water, her form different. She transformed back into a Zoroark once landing, shook the water from her fur, then into a human.

"Good news," she gave a feral grin. "I got us help. Get me some more vines."

Xera handed her a bundle and Luna took some as well. They tied the ends to the rafts, then threw the other ends into the river, as instructed by Z. They were immediately grabbed by several Sharpedos that emerged from the water, eyes staring straight ahead.

"Might want to get on," Z jumped on a raft. "And hold on."

I barely had time to grab my stuff and jump onto the same raft as Xera, Grovyle, and Yanmega before the Sharpedos began pulling. We skidded across the ground before splashing into the water. We stayed afloat, but I nearly fell into the river. Luckily the Sharpedos were strong, strong enough to pull against the current. We reached the other side in no time, leaping onto shore. We watched as the Pokemon let the vines go, the rafts surging down the river. They crashed into the rocks a ways away, making loud cracking noises before continuing on in tiny pieces.

"All that hard work," I said. "Gone just like that."

"No time like the present," Luna said, shouldering her bow. "Let's get a move on. I want to reach the bridge by evening."

"What bridge?" I asked as we began walking.

"There's a wooden bridge on the last section of water we need to cross," she explained. "I don't know who built it, but it's old and made from a wood I don't recognize. It was sturdy last time I was there, so it should be fine."

"Convenient," I said.

As we walked, I noticed Leavanny constantly reaching out for stray webs among bushes and trees. She was concentrating hard, so I didn't want to distract her by asking what she was doing. Yanmega meanwhile seemed to be tiring from flying, so I scooped him up into my arms.

"There," I smiled. "Is that better?"

He clicked, satisfied. He got comfortable as he let his wings rest at his sides. The sun was beginning to lower when we began to hear flowing water. Coming out from the forest, we saw the river. Just as Luna had said, there was a wooden bridge, arching over the water.

"Thank Arceus," I breathed. "We don't have to spend forever building more rafts again."

"Did you ever doubt me?" Luna asked.

"Yes," Xera said without hesitation.

Luna ignored her.

As we stepped onto the bridge, I definitely got the impression it was very old by looking at the aged wood, but it didn't feel like it. It neither creaked nor swayed. It seemed as immovable as the trees in a forest. Beyond the bridge, the land sloped upwards, the jungle thinner, not as thick with vegetation.

"Should we rest here?" I asked.

Luna looked at the sun. It wasn't setting yet, so she said, "No, we'll keep going. We can reach the waterfall just after nightfall at this rate."

So we kept going. We didn't talk as the sun got lower and lower. I was already tired, but now my arms felt like lead pipes. I didn't put Yanmega down however. I was so caught up in my struggles of walking, that I almost didn't hear it. A slithering noise, the rustle of leaves.

I stopped. "You guys hear that?"

They all stopped and Xera looked around. "Something's off, but I don't know what."

Grovyle seemed on edge, glancing in the direction I thought I heard the noise.

"Ignore it," Luna said. "It's probably nothing. If we keep this up, we'll never reach the waterfall."

I hesitated for a moment, but then realized I didn't want to get left behind. I picked up the pace, Yanmega's head raised, staring into the trees around us. Later, once night had fallen, I could hear a new sound. A sound like crashing thunder. We emerged from the trees to find ourselves in a lush clearing. The river snaked away from the large plateau in front of us, a waterfall crashing down into a small lake which fed the Branching River.

As we gazed at it, I could see Pokemon swimming around in the crystal clear water which reflected the moonlight. Gorebyss, Magikarps, an Omanyte, and a graceful Milotic. Roaming among the grass surrounding the lake were Deerling, Sawsbucks, Bellosom, a couple Shroomish, and a Lurantis accompanied by three Fomantis. None of them seem bothered by us. In fact, Lurantis came right up to Zoroark and they began talking in their own language.

"They all live around here," Luna explained. "The last time I was here, we were respectful visitors."

She gave both Xera and I a dark look. "So don't you dare go causing trouble. This is a nice little place undisturbed by the tribes."

"Where can we sleep?" I asked.

"Wherever I guess," Luna looked around. "Just don't disturb the natives."

I nodded and headed off towards a tree which had an abundance of moss growing on it. I set Yanmega down on a bed of it, then rested against the tree, next to him. Leavanny came up to Yanmega and began weaving thread through his wings. I watched her weave what was once the webs through the holes. After a bit, she had finished, his wings all patched up.

"That's amazing," I breathed and Leavanny made a sound. She seemed pleased and happy. Yanmega buzzed his wings fast, then stopped to check. The weaving held and he seemed very happy.

"Hey now," I rested my hand on his back. "Get some rest. You can fly in the morning."

As I settled in for sleep, I turned my gaze to the stars. They're beauty amazed me every time I saw them. Galar, full of machinery and smog, made it so you never saw the sky, much less the night sky. I looked around the clearing, seeing how beautiful it looked, dazzling in the starlight.

"How could my people have caused so much grief to this wonderful place?" I thought. "Why did they do it? What could have made them wanted it so badly."

I knew I would probably never know the answer to my question, so I closed my eyes, and willed myself to sleep.

...

"How are we getting up to the top of the waterfall?" Xera asked, finishing her fruit.

"There's a small path that goes up the waterfall," Luna said. "But we're not going for the top. We need to go beneath it. I hope you both know how to swim."

"Wait," I looked at the lake. "We're going to swim into the waterfall?"

"Beneath it," Luna repeated. "I assume your clothes are water proof?"

Xera nodded. "The Jungle tribe has to deal with heavy rainfall occasionally, so yeah."

"Good," Luna said.

"Won't the water damage Yanmega's wings though?" I asked, worried.

"Leeavanny," Leavanny look slightly worried as well.

"He can go with Z," Luna put her bow and arrows next to Zoroark. "She won't be coming with us. She'll climb the waterfall and wait for us. She'll also take our stuff with her."

Zoroark growled, probably annoyed she would be carrying everything. I put my spear near her and so did Xera, as well as her bow and arrows.

"Alright then," Luna said. "Leavanny, might be best if you went with Z and Yanmega. You too Grovyle. Dewpider, well, do whatever."

With that, she took a running leap into the clear lake, diving beneath the surface.

"See you all at the top," Xera told the Pokemon, diving in after Luna.

"Take care," I told them, before jumping into the water.

Bubbles floated up around me, Gorebyss swimming away from me. I saw Luna and Xera far ahead of me already, so I began to swim after them. I came up for a breath of air, before diving back down to go beneath the waterfall. The Milotic from before swam gracefully around me, her beauty entrancing. The faint thrum of the waterfall pounded away in front of me, froth blocking my vision. I swam through it, seeing Xera and Luna waiting for me, heads above the water. I rose up and breathed.

Looking around, there was a ceiling of rock above us and a wall around us. I looked back down in the water and noticed a tunnel leading below, faint glows misshapen by the water.

"We're going down there?" I asked.

Luna nodded, pulling her hair out of her face, golden eyes glowing slightly. "It's not that far of a swim. Just make sure to hold your breath. Drowning now would be inconvenient."

She took a deep breath and dived back down, swimming into the tunnel below, Xera following her.

"Secrets beneath the island," I whispered to myself. "That's what I'm about to discover."

I took a huge breath, then dived.

**Oh so close to the end. This will definitely finish up within two months, so I hope you all have been enjoying it so far. Toodles**


	29. Chapter 28: Hall of Giants

I gasped for breath, water raining down from my surfacing. I was in a dark circular room, the only light coming from bioluminescent plants in the water below, so most of it was in complete blackness.

Xera was pulling herself onto the smooth stone floor ahead of me, Luna already walking around. A bright flame lit up from a torch on the wall thanks to Luna, lighting up the room. As I hauled myself out of the water, I gazed at the curving walls in wonder. There were paintings and writing, hardly faded despite looking incredibly old.

"Woah," I breathed. "This is something else."

Luna lit another torch on fire that hung from the wall, inside a metal holder. I took it out and held it up to the wall for closer inspection. I could see a tower with two bird-like creatures flying, one rising from water and one descending from clouds, light appearing to radiate from him. I moved to the right slowly, seeing another painting. Three beings, seemingly representing the land, ocean, and sky, locked in battle, with a small tower in-between them, light also beaming from it.

"Amazing," I traced my hand across it. "I recognize this."

"You do?" Luna looked at it. "There are many drawings all over this place, but this is the one room where the drawings are one of a kind. They seem to mark some sort of events."

"Yeah," I said. "At least this one does. I recognize it from texts I read about from Hoenn. Three legendary beasts, land, ocean, and sky, locked in a struggle that helped shape the world. But how would it be here."

I continued to go right, coming upon a drawing which mystified me to no end. Dark colors splashed on the left, meeting with a white color, both seeming to be opposing forces as they blended together. If I concentrated hard enough, I could see two figures, one in the black and one in the white. I stepped to the right, making sure not to fall in the water below as I had to stand closer to the wall. This one also showed a similar scene, but the black and white weren't as mixed and were smooth to the touch. Half of the circle was black with a white dot in the middle, the opposite true for the other half, each one ending with a curved end. However, the middle of the circle was broken up a little, grey color spilling out.

"The yin yang," I murmured, tracing it with my finger. "They discovered something similar in the Unovan Colony, but this grey part is something new."

I moved on to the next drawing, highlighting a tree. Half of it dead and the other half flourishing. The background colors were a mix of purple and green and I got a weird feeling in my gut just by looking at it. The final section of the wall had two pictures. One showed an altar, a sun and moon merged together, with black spread around it. The other half showed a sword and shield, covered in what looked like blood.

"This is weird," I said, looking around. "All of this, this isn't even about this island. It's like a montage of events around the world."

"As I said," Luna was standing next to a tunnel. "This is a strange room compared to the rest of the place. Best not to dwell on it too much. Now come on you two. You haven't even seen the main area."

I followed her and Xera out of the room, holding up the torch to the wall to my right. I saw a volcano erupting upon a village, a forest aflame, then a forest that was burnt. Finally, the last two images were of a giant Venusaur breathing life back into the ashes, then the forest was renewed, with Venusaur being consumed by the forest.

I stopped, staring at it. "Venusaur's Blessing."

Xera stopped beside me to look and gasped. "Exactly as the story described it."

"Hurry it up!" Luna called back to us, her voice echoeing through the hall of cracked stone.

We followed after her and stepped out of the hall and into a room where the word 'huge' didn't give it justice.

"It's massive!" my eyes widened. Light streamed in from a crack in the ceiling about a hundred feet up, letting us see the giant statues. Luna lit a torch on the wall, starting a chain reaction, torches lighting up all around the area.

I stared up at the statues in wonder. There were ten in total, five on each side, all of the same creature. A massive creature with a tree-like body, a huge tree trunk seeming to grow out of its back, the roots for it reaching into the ground. What was probably branches clung to the creature's sides and back, a faint purple glow emanating from it. Long arms with clawed hands hung at its side, its huge feet shaped like the base of a tree, roots also digging into the ground. And its face... its face was split into four parts, revealing the insides of its mouth, teeth lining the edges and inside.

"Welcome," Luna said. "To the Hall of Giants."

"What in the name of _Disec _are these!?" Xera exclaimed.

"I've seen them before," I said, breathless, as well as a little scared. "Back in the caves. It was painted on the floor."

"What caves?" Luna asked.

"The one you came out of on the beach," I replied, moving closer to the nearest statue. "I went down a tunnel where painted figures on the wall were running away from. I ended up in a cavern with this creature painted on the floor, with a different winged creature painted on the ceiling above."

"Interesting," Luna looked back up at the statues. "I don't know what these are, but I still haven't looked everywhere in here yet. Besides, the prophecy said to come here. Maybe now that you're here, you'll find something I didn't."

I nodded, but I was still studying the statue. Now that I was closer, I could tell the purple stone was made of a different material, maybe a jewel of some sort. Tearing my eyes away from the horrifying, yet amazing creatures, I studied the hall we were in. Rubble littered the ground, especially on the sides. I could see doorways going into separate rooms, some of them half hidden by broken stone. Going into the nearest one, I lifted my torch above my head.

Paintings decorated the walls, all of which depicting a winged dragon. Some parts were too cracked and broken to make out, but some were still legible. One showed it soaring above a town at the base of a volcano, another showing it breathing fire onto a group of people. The final painting, which was half ruined by the ageing of time, showed it above the village as the volcano was erupting behind it.

"If there's a giant Venusaur," I mused. "Maybe this is a giant Charizard."

I couldn't seem to decipher any hidden meanings in the paintings, so I moved out of the room. Xera was staring at a statue as if it highly unnerved her. Luna was busy trying to clear rubble out of the way of an entrance.

I went over to help, and upon seeing me, she said, "Help me with this."

We heaved a slab of stone together, it slamming on the ground, dust billowing into the air.

"This place got even more ruined since the last time I was here," Luna coughed on the dust. "It's a wonder this place is still standing and that the ceiling hasn't caved in already."

"Let's be thankful it hasn't," I said, climbing onto the pile of rubble, sliding into the small hole made. I landed on my feet in a room, half collapsed on the right side. I studied the left wall as Luna slid in behind me.

"Damn," Luna looked at the right side. "This definitely wasn't like this before. It was nothing interesting though. Just some stuff with people praying atop a mountain."

I nodded absentmindedly as I moved closer to the left side. There was a large mountain, surrounded by smaller ones. Dark clouds had been drawn above it, a misshapen creature descending down upon the island. The painting next to it showed the same scene, but now an orb rested on the peak of the mountain. Where the next drawing should've been had collapsed along with the right side.

"There's nothing in here," Luna shook her head, making her way over to the hole to climb out. "Come on."

I turned to follow her, only to stop. I looked back at the room, feeling a pulling sensation in my gut. I went over to the scene with the orb, looking at it more carefully.

"What is it?" Luna asked.

"I don't know," I said, feeling it. It felt smooth and curved, unlike the rough stone around it. I pressed against it and I heard a large crack. I stepped back, alarmed as large cracks began forming in the wall.

"Watch out!" Luna yelled, pulling me back as the wall collapsed.

We coughed as dust filled the room and we had to shield our eyes.

We heard stones being moved, then Xera's voice from the main area. "You guys okay?"

"Yeah," Luna said. "Liam here decided to break the wall."

"Sorry," I said, waving the dust away as I stepped closer to the collapsed wall. Where it had been standing, there was now a small tunnel.

"That's new," Luna muttered.

I knelt next to it, holding my torch inside. Just five feet away, I could see a small room. I had to squat so I could fit inside, then I moved carefully into the small hidden room. I stood, finding that the ceiling was low enough to where my head almost hit it. In the middle of the tiny area, there was an altar of sorts, a sword sheathed inside a scabbard made of a material unknown to me.

Luna stood up beside me. "A sword?"

I nodded, setting down my torch and lifted the sword up. It was light, way too light for a sword. And the scabbard felt smooth and rough at the same time, like some sort of wood. I grasped the hilt of the sword, which was straight and had an easy grip on it. I pulled it out slightly, revealing a purple blade, likely made from the same material that was on the statues. It looked extremely sharp and seemed to be whole.

Luna was tracing her fingers along the altar now, on letters that had been hidden by the sword. She began muttering beneath her breath in a language I didn't recognize. I studied the letters, realizing they were very much not like letters that I knew. Half of them seemed to be small pictures.

"What does it say?" I asked.

"It's part of an ancient language," Luna said. "I think it says, 'Beneath the mountain, the Forbidden Light lies'."

"Forbidden Light," I muttered. "Where have I heard that before?"

"The prophecy," Luna answered. "Forbidden Light Unleashed. We know where to go now."

"Where?" I asked as she began moving out of the room.

"To the Central Mountains," she said as I followed her. "If the Forbidden Light is there, whatever it may be, the Mountain Tribe may know more about it and the prophecy."

"Are they friendly?" I asked.

"More so than the Jungle Tribe," Luna said. "However, getting there is tricky. The path into the mountain is easily lost."

"You've been there before?" I questioned as we both climbed back out into the main hall.

She nodded. "Once. I was welcomed, so having me with you shouldn't get you kill for being an outsider."

"What are you two talking about?" Xera asked.

"We're heading out," Luna told her, making her way past the giant statues and towards the far end of the area.

Xera looked at me as we began heading after her. "What did you guys find?"

I showed her the sword. "This and some words in an ancient language I guess. Something about the Forbidden Light being beneath the Central Mountains. So we're heading to the Mountain Tribe."

Xera sighed. "We have a long journey ahead of us."

I looked back at the sword and wondered once more why it was so light. Shrugging, I held it close as we followed Luna into a dark tunnel.

**A place full of mysteries about the island. Things are getting interesting now as I build upon the lore more. So now we know the next step in Liam, Luna, and Xera' journey. They're heading to the Mountain Tribe. Only two chapters left folks. What could I have in store for you all. Till then. Toodles**


	30. Chapter 29: Battling on the Edge

We climbed up through a tunnel, turning every so often.

"You do know where this leads?" Xera asked, unconvinced. "It feels like we're just wandering around in here."

"Don't worry," Luna said. "I've already explored this tunnel through and through. As long as one of the paths up ahead remains open, we'll get back out."

"Can you even see in this darkness?" I asked, making sure my torch wouldn't hit the ceiling. Xera held one as well, but not Luna, despite leading us.

"Of course," she responded. "Those of the Moonlit Tribe are taught how to see with even no light."

I remembered her glowing eyes from before and chalked up her explanation to that. After a while more of walking through the tunnel, I could begin to hear a faint roar.

"The waterfall's up ahead," I announced.

"We can hear it too," Xera said. "Idiot."

After a minute, light began pouring into the tunnel.

"So if this leads right back to the waterfall," I said. "Why didn't we just go through this way?"

"I thought it would be more fun," Luna said, walking outside.

Sighing, I shielded my eyes as I stepped back into daylight. We were on a stone path that lead up the waterfall in a zigzag pattern, the spot we were standing on now sticking out a little. We were just over halfway up, the waterfall five feet to our right, the spray washing over us. Luna tossed me something and as I caught it, I realized it was my spear. She picked up her bow and arrows as Xera did the same.

"Where-?" I glanced around, but didn't see any of the Pokemon.

"Z must've left them here," Luna said. "She probably dropped them here because she was tired of carrying them. C'mon, they'll be waiting at the top."

We went up the rocky and mossy path, the waterfall roaring endlessly. Twenty feet up, we crossed under a rocky outcropping, walking behind the waterfall. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, condensation forming on them, droplets of water hitting our heads. Once we got out, the path ended, the only way to get to the top of the plateau was to climb the vines and roots breaking through the rock.

"Can't we just call down the Pokemon to help us?" I asked.

Surprisingly, Luna nodded. "Fine. It'll save our strength. Z! You there!?"

No answer.

"Z!"

Again, no answer.

Luna narrowed her eyes. "I don't like this."

She yanked on a vine, then began hauling herself up, using her right hand to jab her spear into cracks. "Something's not right. Hurry up and follow me."

Xera began climbing after her and I realized I either needed to leave the sword or somehow carry it. I glanced at the vines and grabbed one that hung down for over a meter. I cut it with the spear and began tying it around my waist. I stuck my sword through it on my hip and tightened the vine. It was shoddy work, but it would have to do for now. From the tone of Luna's voice, I knew I didn't have time to waste.

By the time I began climbing, they were already pulling themselves up. I stared straight up, gritting my teeth and pulling myself up with the vine, slamming my spear tip into the rockface. It held, so I pulled myself up further. The wind picked up slightly, water spraying against me, chilling me. My arms ached, but I persevered, and with one last grunt, brought my free hand up over the side along with my head. I could feel my sword slipping, so I hurriedly placed it on the ground, just as the vine fell away.

I closed my eyes, breathing heavily, when I heard a loud thump to my left. I opened my eyes to see Xera groaning on the ground, holding her right arm, her spear missing. Exhaustion forgotten, I stared straight ahead, seeing Luna going toe-to-toe with another person wielding a spear. Then she slipped and the man stabbed the spear into her stomach. I gasped as Luna stumbled back and fell, her spear rolling away.

I looked at the man and recognized him. It was Eric.

The shock and grief that had washed over me were purged by the building rage. With a burst of strength, I pulled myself up over the side and got to my feet.

Eric twirled his spear in his hand and let it rest, the tip against the ground. His gaze lifted from Luna to me, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"Finally," he sounded overjoyed. "You made it, Liam."

"What are you doing here?" my voice trembled with fury, but when I looked down at Luna, I realized she hadn't been stabbed. He must've hit her with the butt of his spear. She groaned on the ground, edging away from Eric. Relieved, I lifted my gaze back up to him.

"The Elders saw it fit to send me after you," Eric leaned against his spear. "Of course, they gave me special permission to leave the tribal territory, so I'm not here for a personal vendetta. It's strictly business."

He leveled his spear to me. "But I promise you, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy this."

Knowing I would be no match against him, I took a step backwards, and hoped that I could buy time for something. "Where our the Pokemon?"

Eric chuckled. "Them? They're a bit tied up at the moment."

There was a jungle behind him that I didn't pay much attention to, but now I looked harder. There, Zoroark, Leavanny, Dewpider, Grovyle, and Yanmega were tied up by thick layers of vines. A Pokemon leaped from the thick canopy, landing next to Eric. His Shiftry glared at me with a sneer across his face.

"With a little sleeping powder," Eric loosened and gripped his spear. "Any Pokemon is easy to deal with. Even that shape-shifter."

"Dammit," Luna hauled herself up next to me, clutching her stomach before gripping her spear tighter. "He caught me off guard. Xera's arm might be broken, so we're on our own. Don't fall of the edge."

I glanced behind us. The waterfall continued to roar in the background, the river that fed it twisting out of the jungle in front of us. The fall off the side of the plateau would be fatal, even if we landed in the water below.

"We need the Pokemon," she whispered. "Or else we don't stand a chance. Our only hope is that he used a stronger dosage on Z, which means we have a chance of waking up the other Pokemon faster."

"Done plotting over there," Eric grinned. "Looks like I'll have to start this off."

"GO!" Luna pushed me aside with one hand as Eric shot forwards, jabbing his spear. I stumbled to the side, running past him as Luna deflected his strike with one of her own, before trying to press the advantage. I knew the main issue in front of me would be Shiftry, but I didn't see him anymore.

A swirl of leaves blew up around me, blowing me forwards, crashing onto the rough stone ground. I tasted blood, my body aching. I looked behind me to see Shiftry stalking closer, the leaves he had for hands glowing.

I turned on my back and began scurrying backwards. As I did, I knew I had to come up with a plan. My hands felt soft grass and moss, so I knew I had reached the edge of the jungle. Shiftry was preparing to launch himself at me, so I did the only thing I could do. I threw my spear and ran once I got back onto my feet. I knew that attack didn't do a thing, but it had to be worth something.

I ran to the nearest Pokemon tied up, Yanmega. I yanked my knife free from my waist and swung it down against the vines holding him in place.

"Yanmega!" I yelled. "Wake up! Yanmega!"

Before I could cut the rest of the vines, something slammed into my side, sending me crashing into a tree. I groaned upon impact, my head spinning. I looked to see Shiftry looking quite annoyed now as he prepared to slash me in the chest. Suddenly, Grovyle slammed into Shiftry's side, knocking him away.

I coughed and got to my feet. "Thank you."

Grovyle didn't waste time looking at me, instead leaping at Shiftry. Knowing he would probably need backup, I went back to Yanmega and picked up my knife. I sawed my way through the rest of the vines, catching Yanmega in my arms.

"Wake up," I shook him. "Wake up! WAKE UP!"

His eyes glinted in the sunlight and his wings buzzed. His eyes flashed red and he zoomed into the air.

"Yes!" I could feel tears on my cheeks. "You're awake!"

I felt confident now, but it all vanished when I heard a cry of pain. I whirled around to see Luna falling on her back, a stab wound in her left arm. I made a move to run to help her, but Yanmega beat me to it by sending a wave of energy crashing into Eric. He was flung backwards, but simply got back up.

"So you got your partner free," he said, turning to look at us. "That won't matter. Shiftry!"

Shiftry knocked aside Grovyle and sprung at Yanmega, engaging him in battle. Now it was just me and Eric.

He reached to his side to something I had failed to notice. He drew the sword, cold metal blade glinting in the sunlight.

"How about I kill you like the other outsiders killed us?" He pointed the tip at me. "Time to die, Liam."

I needed a strategy, or I was dead. I could feel sweat trickling down my face, desperation having me wrack my brain for something, anything. I glanced towards my spear, laying just twenty feet away.

"Go for it," Eric said, grinning. "I dare you. I won't kill these two yet, I promise. You die first."

"That's good!"

Eric raised his sword to defend himself as Xera lunged for him, wielding her spear in her left arm.

"THE SPEAR!" she yelled at me as Eric took a step back. Realizing this was the only chance I would get, I ran for my weapon. I heard Xera cry in pain again and I could only hope Eric would stay true to his word and not kill her.

I snatched my spear, turning as fast as I could, but I could already see Eric running towards me, the sword in his right hand.

_"Spear vs sword,"_ I thought as time seemed to slow, my arms feeling heavy. _"I can't lose. I can't die. I have to save them!"_

I thrust my spear forwards, extending it with my right arm. The bayonet nearly pierced Eric in the stomach, causing my stomach to jolt and him having to throw himself to the side to avoid getting impaled.

My hands shook as I backed away. I couldn't kill him. I couldn't kill another person. I... I...

"Don't doubt yourself," Eric got to his feet, a dark smile on his face. "Aim to kill. Nobody else hesitated. Out here, it's kill or be killed."

In the corner of my eye, I could see Shiftry weakening, but Yanmega and Grovyle couldn't finish in time to help. And Luna and Xera were out of commission. I was the only one left able to fight.

"You're all alone Liam," Eric taunted. "Once you're dead, they're next."

I imagined Luna and Xera, cut down by Eric, their blood staining the stone ground. Rage burned inside of me, adrenaline pumping through me.

I looked back and realized I was feet from the edge of the plateau. Eric raised his sword, preparing to strike once more. I realized I was done for. There was nothing I could do. I was going to die, then all of my friends. In one last desperate attempt, I threw my spear. Eric knocked it aside with the flat of his blade and rushed towards me, swinging down. I ducked low and leaped to the side, avoiding his blade, my hand hitting something hard as I landed.

My hand gripped around it and my brain went into autopilot.

_"I have to save them!"_

I spun around as Eric's blade glanced against the stone ground where I had just been

_"I won't let them die!" _

With a yell of fury, I thrust my right hand forwards with all of my might.

"I won't let you kill them!"

...

I was breathing heavily as Eric's sword fell out of his hand, dropping off the plateau. The sound of the waterfall almost drowned out his choked words as blood ran down his mouth.

"How-" he stared at me, wide-eyed, as he gripped the sickly purple blade with his fading strength.

I looked up at him, both of my hands clenching the hilt so hard my knuckled had turned white. I lowered my gaze to stare at the spot where the sword had pierced his stomach, blood pooling around the area.

I started trembling. "Wha- No. I- I didn't-!"

Eric coughed up blood, spraying the blade with it. "You actually managed to do it. I'm amazed."

He met my fearful gaze. "Learn to harden your heart, Liam. Or you'll never survive."

He pushed himself backwards, the blade popping out of him with a nauseating squelch, as he let himself fall over the side, towards the ground far below.

I fell to my knees, my hands still gripping the sword.

_"What have I done!?"_ I thought, staring at where his body had disappeared into the jungle below.

_"Survival is key."_

_"Ryan," _my whole body was shaking now._ "Brother! This- this can't be what it means to survive!"_

_"Survival is key."_

I raised my head, screaming to the heavens in anguish.

**Well, Liam has his first (human) kill. You all are probably happy Eric died, so rejoice. Anyway, one chapter and an epilogue left to go and this book will finally end. But of course, as you all should know, there will be a sequel. I might finish this up this coming weekend instead of updating LDOC, so once that's out of the way, the sequel likely won't come out for another month or two later. I'm still planning it out. Besides all that, I hope you all are looking forward to the last chapter. Toodles**


	31. Chapter 30: To the Central Mountains

I stared off into the distance, feeling like something sacred had just been torn from me. I could see still see him, my sword piercing his stomach, as he choked up blood. How he fell into the jungle below.

"Liam," Luna said, kneeling beside me. "He's dead. You killed him. You did what needed to be done."

"It's not okay," I sounded empty. "It's not okay to kill another human being."

"Liam," she turned me so I could face her. Her eyes were devoid of emotion. "This is what you're going to have to live with from now on. Killing is a natural part of life. People die in tribal disputes all the time. He was your first human kill. He's not going to be your last."

I pushed her away, standing on shaky feet. "No. He will be the last. I won't kill anyone else!"

I still held onto the sword, blood dripping onto the stones. I felt an emotion build up inside of me as I prepared to hurl it away off the plateau, but Luna grabbed my wrist, standing.

"Don't," her grip tightened. "That sword is important to the prophecy, I'm sure of it."

She glared at me, before releasing my wrist. She turned and began walking away as blood dripped from the wound in her left arm. It was then I realized that she had grabbed my wrist with her left hand.

She turned her head back to look at me. "You'll need that sword to defend yourself. You're not that good with a spear."

I stood there as I watched her help Xera to her feet and then freed the Pokemon and woke them up.

I don't know when I had sat down, or when Yanmega had put his head in my lap, but dusk was falling. Leavanny was busy binding Xera's right arm as Luna stoked a fire. Zoroark came out of the forest, pulling a Deerling behind her. The smell of cooking meat aroused my stomach, which I had just noticed was making noises. I felt starved, so I nudged Yanmega off of me and made my way over to the fire.

As I sat down, Luna glanced at me. "Finally decided to join us?"

I stayed silent for a few moments, before I looked at Xera. "I'm sorry. He was a part of your tribe and-"

She held up her left hand. "Stop. You only did what was necessary. I can't blame you for that."

Her face seemed to darken in the firelight. "I blame my tribe, the Elders. I don't know what they were thinking, trusting his word."

She looked at Luna. "I can feel it. Something has changed. Our tribe has never had a traitor like Eric in all our history."

Luna nodded. "Everything changed when Liam washed ashore. Actually, it was before he came. When the outsiders came, our tribal way of living changed. His coming into the Jungle Tribe only confirmed that things needed to change."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Luna turned the stick the meat was on, the fire crackling and popping. "The prophecy has to mean a change is coming. What will come of it I don't know."

She turned her body slightly and pointed towards the Central Mountains in the distant. "That's our destination. That's where the Forbidden Light resides, whatever it may be."

She went back to tending to the meat as I stared at my sheathed sword.

I glanced back up at both of them. "There's one condition on me coming with you."

Luna didn't look up. "And?"

"We don't kill anymore people," I was determined. I would not take no for an answer. "If a change is indeed coming to this island, it won't come by bloodshed. That's my one condition if you want me to go along with the prophecy."

"Idiot," Luna sighed. "You have no choice but to go with us if you want to live. You wouldn't last long by yourself."

"Try me," I held up the sword. "I survived the shipwreck, days on my own before I was rescued by the Jungle Tribe. I was weak and unprepared then. Now I've gotten stronger and know more on how to survive here."

"If I die," my hand gripped the sheath tightly as I stared determinedly at Luna. "I can't help you! And whatever is to come, it'll happen after I am dead!"

Xera chuckled. "You are amusing, outsider."

Luna glared at her, before looking at me. "Fine then. I will hold back and not kill. You happy?"

I nodded and looked at Xera. "You too."

Xera rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah. Fine. I won't kill anyone. Not like I was planning to anyway."

Luna handed me a chunk of cooked meat. "Eat up, both of you. Tomorrow we head out to the Central Mountains."

Yanmega buzzed beside me as Leavanny rested her arm on my right shoulder. Grovyle chewed a leaf in his mouth as he lay beside Xera, Dewpider in Xera's lap. Zoroark stared at the fire, the light dancing in her eyes.

Luna's eyes glowed. "Our journey begins now."

**There's an epilogue to read, so this isn't goodbye yet. Toodles**


	32. Epilogue: So it Begins

An island in the middle of the lake rippled as the stars gleamed above. The soft breathing of Pokemon could be heard faintly as one Pokemon sat atop a rock. It stared into the night sky, feeling a sense of loneliness.

Something slithered amongst the forest floor, eyes stalking its prey. Its targets were many, but it was king of its forest.

The earth shook below the mountains, as if the rocks themselves sensed the coming change. A man knelt amongst the glimmering stars embedded into the rocks, his hands folded in prayer. He knew the signs of the earth well and he could feel the change in it.

"The prophecy," he breathed. "So it has started."

He rose to his feet, plucking one of the stars from a rock, gazing into it. "The Forbidden Light. Its tale must not be told. It must not be known."

He breathed. "The name of this island. It will lead only those who know to ruin."

The star shattered into a million pieces as he gazed upwards. "So it begins."

**I hope you enjoyed TMR to the fullest. I plan on getting the sequel started sometime in December, possibly around Christmas. I need to focus more on LDOC, get a lot more of that out. But, I won't just leave you with just this. Here's a sneak peak:**

_I held my torch above my head, the light illuminating the shadows, darkness beyond its reach. "It's below."_

_Luna knelt next to the edge, gazing into the chasm. "The Forbidden Light is in our reach."_

_I took a deep breath. "It's time to uncover the secrets of this island."_

_We began our descent down the carved stone steps, deeper beneath the mountains, to where the Forbidden Light lay._

Liam, Luna, Xera, and all the Pokemon, will return in

**Pokémon TMR: Buried Secrets**


End file.
